How UP man duped villagers with idols bought on Amazon for Rs 169

India is a land of various religions and faiths and there is a history of many notorious 'godmen' in the country who have cheated millions and also exposed the dark side of fake spirituality. Recently, a man from Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao duped his fellow villagers with an unusual claim that enabled him to earn a quick buck by cheating the innocent people in the name of religion.

The man named Ashok, from Unnao, Uttar Pradesh earned instant fame in his area after he claimed that he found idols of Hindu deities buried in his field. Many villagers took it as a miracle and thronged Ashok's home to see the idols and pay their respects. The alleged culprit weaved a fake story in such a manner that many villagers took him for his word. He said that he dreamt about those idols and knew something like this would happen. And, it was that dream, which prompted him to till the land, where he recovered those idols.

It was a perfect ploy to dupe the villagers as they soon started worshipping those idols and started offering money in a makeshift temple, created by Ashok to showcase his idols. Things could have continued in the same manner but luck soon eluded Ashok.


A man who had delivered the idols to Ashok spilled the beans about the idols, which were being bought from online shopping website Amazon for Rs 169.

Finally the whole episode of forgery came before the eyes of villagers. The idols were later claimed by the police, who have already taken Ashok and his two sons into custody. The idols also include Shri Dhan Laxmi Kuber Bhandari, who is worshipped as the goddess of wealth and prosperity.



According to Pankaj Singh, circle officer Bangarmau, the villagers have been informed about the whole episode and how Ashok bought these idols online and cheated them. The police will further take the action.



Every now and then we hear of such incidents where self-styled godmen, babas and even common citizens take gullible people for a ride in the name of religion. Who can forget the famous episode of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, who has been serving a jail sentence in a case related to a rape in his Jodhpur ashram in 2013. Moreover, many such cases have been where people impersonate themselves as babas, fakirs or gurus to dupe innocent villagers across India.