- By Chetna Shree
- Tue, 17 Jun 2025 03:34 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Uttarakhand News: The devotees booked two ambulances from Haridwar to Kedarnath Temple and converted them into air-conditioned taxis to avoid traffic and reach the temple early. On June 14, the devotees planned to reach the shrine early by outwitting the police with two ambulances.
The two ambulances were from Rajasthan and Haridwar. The number plate of one of the ambulances of Rajasthan read RJ14 PF 2013, whereas the other from Haridwar was registered as UK08 PA 1684.
The devotees knew they could pass the strict police check post with an ambulance, as the police would not stop the ambulance. They hired two ambulances, switched on the sirens and took the emergency route to start their journey. As expected, the police did not check the vehicles, and they kept crossing the check posts without being stopped.
One after another, they crossed several check posts, but finally got caught by the Sonprayag Police.
As part of the security protocol, the check posts between Gaurikund and Kedarnath are informed in case of an emergency or if someone falls sick. The Sonprayag police however did not have any information about the ambulances. When the two ambulances arrived at the Sonprayag, the police got suspicious. The two speeding ambulances with sirens caught the police's attention.
The Sonprayag police stopped and checked the ambulances. They were surprised to see devotees in the air-conditioned vehicles. The police seized the vehicles and fined the drivers. The devotees had managed to take advantage of the emergency vehicle thus far, as the police from Haridwar to Rishikesh, Byasi, Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Tilwara, Augustmuni, Guptkashi Phata did not stop the vehicles.
The doors of the Kedarnath temple were opened for devotees on May 2. It will remain open until the closing ceremony in November.