Team Herald
PONDA: A fresh scam has rocked the town of Ponda, with fake lottery coupons being sold under the name of the revered Zareshwar deity, leaving residents outraged and calling for a thorough police investigation.
The incident came to light on Saturday at the Ponda city bus stand, where locals noticed unauthorised individuals selling donation-based lottery tickets allegedly on behalf of the Zareshwar deity. The shrine of Shree Zareshwar, situated at the old bus stand, is one of the oldest and most revered religious sites in Ponda, attracting scores of devotees every Wednesday and Sunday.
Ponda locals, led by municipal councillor Venktesh Naik, lodged a formal police complaint, warning fellow Goans against being duped by what he called an emotional betrayal of religious faith. “Devotees do not buy these tickets to win prizes but as a donation to their beloved Zareshwar deity. This is nothing short of cheating,” Naik told the media.
The fraudulent lottery tickets were found to be sold under the banner of ‘Shree Zareshwar Sangeet Sanskrutik Sounsthan – Ponda’, an organisation Naik asserts does not exist. The coupons, priced at Rs 200 each, falsely advertised attractive prizes:1st prize – Rs 2 lakh; 2nd prize – Rs 1 lakh; 3rd prize – Rs 50,000; 4th prize – Rs 25,000 and 5 consolation prizes – Rs 5,000 each.
Naik added that the tickets lacked basic organisational information, such as the names of the President, Treasurer, or a registration number, raising further suspicions.
In his complaint, Naik, representing the Shree Zareshwar Mahaprasad Seva Samiti, mentioned that their committee has organised an annual pooja on April 21 at the same location. The alleged scam came to light, after a member of the committee, Pritam Naik, observed the unauthorised sale of the tickets and brought to his attention.
“This is not the first time such scams have occurred,” Naik noted. “In the past, similar fake lottery coupons were sold, and people who had purchased them eventually arrived in Ponda inquiring about the draw date. Only to realise that it was nothing but a fraud.”
He further claimed the bogus tickets are in circulation not only in Ponda but are being sold in Marcel, Usgao, Savoi Verem, and other parts of Goa. “We urge the public to remain vigilant and not fall prey to such fraudulent schemes,” he said.
Police have acknowledged the complaint and confirmed that an investigation is underway into the sale of counterfeit lottery coupons in the name of a religious institution. The offence has been registered against unknown individuals.
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Fake Lottery Scam in Ponda Exploits Zareshwar Deity’s Name, Sparks Public Outrage – heraldgoa.in
