IndiaMART CEO, two others booked for selling Govardhan Hill rocks online, probe underway

Police in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district, about 400 kilometres from here, registered an FIR against five persons, including a CEO of an Indian e-commerce company, for allegedly selling pieces of rocks of the sacred 'Govardhan Hill'.

'Govardhan Hill', which is also called 'Mount Govardhana' and 'Giriraj', is a sacred Hindu site in the Mathura district of UP, and is visited by a large number of devotees. The devotees take a round of the eight-kilometre long hill located at Govardhan and Radha Kund.

According to the police sources in Lucknow, three persons were arrested in this connection. The local supplier of the company was also arrested.

An FIR has been filed under Section 265 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act against IndiaMART founder-CEO Dinesh Agarwal, co-founder Brajesh Agrawal and Mathura-based supplier Ankur Agrawal, according to a PTI report.

Sources said that hundreds of local residents and seers and saints had held a demonstration before the local police station demanding stern action against the e-commerce company CEO and others. A memorandum was also submitted to the district administration in this connection.

Police said that the web site on which the rocks of the Govardhan Hill was being sold had given the address of a firm in Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The site claimed that the rock was 'natural' and had priced a piece of the same Rs 5,175.

The Govardhan Hill, also known as 'Giriraj', is situated around 20 kilometres from Vrindavan.

According to the Hindu mythology, the sacred Hill is considered to be Lord Krishna himself. A 'mahant' (head of a math) from Govardhan said that the 'Bhagavad Gita' (a Hindu scripture) has mentioned Lord Krishna saying that the Hill was not different from him and that worshipping its rocks was the same as worshipping him.

Siya Ram Baba, a saint from Mathura, condemned the act by the company saying, "Govardhan is Krishna himself. Anybody entering into a trade involving Govardhan would be inviting the wrath of the deity."

According to the Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna had once lifted the Hill on one finger to save the residents from the fury of rains after Lord Indra, considered to be the god of rains by the Hindus, had become angry with them.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Brahmin Mahasabha has decided to meet the Mathura DM on Monday for strict action against the company and the supplier.

(With PTI inputs)