Fugitive smuggler arrested while performing Kaal Sarp Dosh ritual:Rajasthan Police catches him from temple, ₹25,000 reward on his head

Rajasthan Police has arrested a drug smuggler carrying a reward of ₹25,000 from the premises of the Mangalnath Temple in Ujjain. The accused had been absconding for the past three years and was arrested while he was performing a ritual for the removal of Kaal Sarp Dosh. The accused, Rakesh Jat (33), a resident of Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh, was performing a Kaal Sarp Dosh puja in the Mangalnath area of Ujjain on Wednesday when the Rajasthan Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) surrounded and arrested him. He was quickly taken into custody and transported to Jaipur before he could react. According to officials, the ANTF had received intelligence that Rakesh was present in Ujjain. Following this, a team in plain clothes disguised as devotees conducted surveillance in and around the Mahakaleshwar temple area. After confirming his presence during a ritual in the Mangalnath temple premises, the team apprehended him. Mental stress during absconding period Reports suggest that during his time on the run, Rakesh had been under mental stress. He consulted an astrologer, who reportedly identified Kaal Sarp Dosh in his horoscope and advised him to perform rituals in Ujjain. He had arrived in the city for the same religious purpose. ₹25,000 reward and long criminal record ANTF IG Vikas Kumar stated that the Jodhpur Rural Police had announced a reward of ₹25,000 on his arrest. The accused had been evading arrest by frequently changing locations, mobile numbers, and keeping his phone switched off most of the time. Active in smuggling for 10 years Police said Rakesh Jat has been involved in drug trafficking for nearly a decade. Despite being a diploma holder, he entered the illegal trade in pursuit of quick money and later became part of an interstate smuggling network. Several cases have been registered against him in both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Authorities believe he had links with major drug traffickers and was on the radar of multiple agencies.