Fake website offering Sabarimala guest house facility detected, probe launched

Pathanamthitta, Kerala: A fake website deceiving Lord Ayyappa devotees by promising guest house facilities at Sabarimala has been detected, police said on Saturday.

Pathanamthitta Cyber Police registered a case on Friday and launched an investigation into the fake website, officials said.

According to police, the website came to light when searches on Google for rooms available for booking at Sabarimala were conducted.

The website - sannidanamguesthouse.in - offered guest house facilities for Ayyappa devotees in Sabarimala, they said.

Two mobile phone numbers were provided on the website for booking rooms.

A police officer said they suspect some devotees may have lost money while attempting to book rooms through the website.

Upon investigation, police found that one of the numbers belonged to a person named Hamid from Haryana, while efforts are underway to trace the details of the second number.

Police later registered a case into the incident.

As per the FIR, the accused include the owner of the fake website, Hamid, and the person operating the second phone number.

The case has been registered under Sections 319(2) (cheating by personation), 318(4) (cheating), and 3(5) (joint criminal liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Sections 66(c) (identity theft) and 66(d) (cheating by personation) of the Information Technology Act.