Bengaluru, Oct 17: A ‘hi-tech begging’ racket has once again come to light at the Kempegowda International Airport. On October 10, police had issued a warning to an individual named Amin from Delhi, who was soliciting money by claiming he had lost his wallet and displaying a QR code. Despite this warning, police have now arrested two men—Venkat Dinesh Kumar and Prateek Bhatia—who were found begging at Terminal 2 while dressed in religious attire (wearing ‘malas’ or prayer beads).
The arrested individuals are Venkat Dinesh Kumar and Prateek Bhatia. According to the police, the two men were wearing saffron-colored clothing and ‘malas’ while soliciting alms at the airport. They had previously been involved in similar activities, for which the police had warned and released them. However, disregarding the warning, they returned to the airport to continue begging.
It is alleged that the two accused would take turns begging on a daily basis. On some occasions, they would claim to have lost their wallets and ask for money to travel for an examination; at other times, they would appear dressed in saffron robes and ‘malas’, posing as ‘sadhus’ (ascetics) to solicit funds. A case regarding this has been registered at the Kempegowda Airport Police Station.
For the past two days, these two individuals were observed begging at Terminal 2 of the Kempegowda Airport, near Devanahalli. Having noticed their activities, the police apprehended them and have initiated further legal action.