In less than two weeks, the heartwarming tale of a mother’s reunion with her long-lost son, now a monk, has taken a distressing turn, revealing a heart-wrenching scam. Bhanumati Singh, a resident of Delhi, had experienced immense joy upon being reunited with her son Pinku, who had left home at the tender age of 11 after a disagreement with his mother in 2002.
Last month, the Singh couple received information that an ascetic in Ratipal’s native village of Kharauli in Amethi bore the same scar as Pinku. Urged by relatives, including Pinku’s sister in the village, Ratipal and Bhanumati hurried to Kharauli. On January 27, they met the ascetic who claimed to be their long-lost son. A viral video captured the emotional moment as the ascetic sought alms from Bhanumati, singing folk songs about a king who had forsaken his kingdom to embrace the life of a monk.
However, the plot thickened, taking an unexpected turn. Pinku, now an ascetic, informed his parents that he had embraced sannyas and needed to return to his monastery, Parasnath Math, in Jharkhand. He explained that his initiation required him to visit Ayodhya and receive alms from his family. Initially reluctant, the parents eventually relented. The village rallied together, contributing 13 quintals of foodgrains, and Ratipal’s sister provided ₹11,000. Pinku left the village on February 1 after receiving these alms.
After his departure, Pinku contacted Ratipal, expressing a desire to return but claimed the monastery demanded ₹10 lakh for his return to family life. Desperate to reunite with his son, Ratipal sold his village land for ₹11.2 lakh, intending to deliver the money to the supposed monastery in Jharkhand. However, suspicions arose when Pinku insisted on a bank transfer or UPI app payment.
Realizing something was amiss, Ratipal investigated and discovered that there was no Hindu monastery named Parasnath Math in Jharkhand. Filled with dismay, he filed a complaint with the Jais police station in Amethi district on Saturday. The ensuing police investigation revealed that the imposter posing as Pinku was, in fact, a man named Nafees from Gonda village, orchestrating a deceitful scam against the unsuspecting family.
