Prayagraj: On the afternoon of March 9, a visitor at Sangam Ghat approached a boatman, inquiring about a boat for eight passengers to reach the Sangam Bathing Ghat.
The boatman quoted a fare of Rs 1,200.
In response, the man wearing a blue T-shirt remarked, “You guys have earned Rs 30 to 35 crore during Kumbh. What do you intend to do with all that money?” The boatman retorted, “Those who have profited would know; we have not made any.”
This exchange reflects the ongoing tension that has arisen since Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath claimed in the assembly that a family of boatmen earned Rs 30 crore from operating 130 boats during the Kumbh Mela. Consequently, visitors have begun to view all boatmen as exploitative.
“The chief minister has equated the extortion by a history-sheeter gangster and the usurpation of others’ rights with the legitimate income of the boatmen,” said a young boatman.
Although Adityanath did not disclose the name of the boat owner, he was quickly identified as Pintu Mahra.
According to Vaibhav Singh, the station in-charge of the Naini police station in Prayagraj district, Pintu Mahra is a history-sheeter with numerous pending cases against him. His family also has a history of criminal activity, including his elder brothers, Anand and Arvind Mahra, as well as his father Ram Sahare, alias Bachcha Mahra, who passed away in 2014 while receiving treatment in prison.
An investigation by The Wire Hindi uncovered that this sailor family, known for its criminal ties, received unjust advantages amounting to crores during the Kumbh, facilitated by an administrative connection, while numerous ordinary sailors suffered significant losses as a result.
Monopoly on the river: Sangam ghats handed over to select few
The Yogi government touted numerous achievements regarding the Kumbh event. However, it was notably overlooked that the entire Sangam area was effectively controlled by a select group of influential boatmen.
This group imposed exorbitant fees on pilgrims, leaving smaller boat operators without work and relegated to working as daily labourers on the boats owned by these musclemen.
Pintu Mahra is the central figure in this narrative, whose mother, Suklavati Devi, is a registered contractor with the electricity department. She secured the contract for constructing roads, installing electricity lines and setting up substations during the Kumbh festivities.
For several years, the Mahra family has consistently received contracts for similar projects during the Magh Mela, Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh.
According to the boatmen and members of the Sailor Union, the Mahra family was responsible for getting over fifty new boats built in preparation for the Kumbh.
The livelihood of boatmen like Bablu and Satyendra was snatched away by the musclemen. Photo: Sushil Manav.
Their relatives also got dozens of new boats.
It was common knowledge that the earning season was ahead. Yet, only a few cashed in on it.
Babloo, a member of the Sailor Union, said, “During the preparation for the Kumbh, rumours were circulated that the boats would operate under a contract system limited to specific ghats.”
This led to protests from the boatman community, who blocked police access to the Sangam prior to the commencement of the Kumbh.
Vishambar Patel, a member of the Sailor Union executive, said, “An advertisement is published before granting a contract. Tenders are solicited and bids are made. But nothing like this happened this time. The administration created such conditions that Pintu Mahra’s family had a monopoly on the river.”
Manoj Nishad, chairman of the Nishad Raj Guhya Seva Sangh, confirmed that despite the rumours, no official contracts were established for boat operations during the Kumbh.
As a result, the entire Kumbh event was controlled by a few musclemen.
Vishambar added that the administration arranged boats prioritising the affluent pilgrims in the tent city. “The boats designated to ferry people to the Sangam for a bath were arranged from the Arail Ghat where the tent city was located, as well as the VIP Ghat and Sangam Ghat,” he said.
Vishambar Patel (right) and Roop Chand Kalandar (middle). Photo: Sushil Manav.
This situation has led to significant discrimination among the boatmen. Prior to the commencement of the Kumbh, certain boatmen were granted exclusive rights to the VIP ghats, which quickly evolved into monopolistic control.
The issue extends further, as boatmen claim that the administration has encroached upon the space designated for ordinary boats by constructing VIP bathing areas.
Additionally, the remaining areas have been taken over by boats owned by strongmen families, such as the Mahra family.
Boatman Sandeep Nibi notes that even if ordinary boatmen attempted to dock their boats, law enforcement ensured that VIP passengers were not permitted to board them.
Khevadar Rajesh highlights that the traditional role of khevadars, who are responsible for inviting and seating passengers, was undermined during the Kumbh, as policemen took on this role, directly seating VIP passengers arriving in cars on Mahra’s boats.
Roop Chand Kalandar, a diver who has established a bathing ghat at the Sangam, points out that of the 80 ghats available during this Kumbh, a small number of mafias controlled 25 to 26 of the most significant ones.
Rise of river mafia, common boatmen miffed
During the Kumbh, numerous reports emerged indicating that boatmen were charging exorbitant fares, sometimes reaching thousands of rupees per passenger. This situation arose because only a limited number of boats, belonging to select operators, were permitted to navigate the river, leading to an artificial increase in demand.
The restricted supply of boats resulted in inflated prices, causing frustration among boatmen and khevadars, as they felt deprived of their traditional rights to operate on the river.
Raj Kumar Kashyap, a local resident of Chhatnag, expressed his discontent, noting that he was not allowed to operate his small boat in the Jhunsi and Chhatnag areas throughout the Kumbh.
The emergence of a boat mafia in Prayagraj, alongside the dominance of certain boatmen, has led to the criminalisation of river boating.
Furthermore, the ghats and designated areas for boatmen have been rooted out. Vishambar and Bablu Nishad recount that previously, boatmen, sailors and khevadars had designated spaces along the banks of the Sangam, where they would gather. Once, former Prime Minister V.P. Singh also paid a visit to a boatmen’s union meeting at the Pahalwan Ghat.
However, the administration has since dismantled these traditional gathering places for the boatmen.
Due to the river mafia, discrimination arose among the boatmen. Photo: Sushil Manav.
The dark past of the Kumbh
Corruption has been a recurring issue during the Kumbh festivals, as highlighted by a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in 2021, which pointed to irregularities in the organisation of the Ardh Kumbh in 2019.
At that time, Vijay Kiran Anand, an IAS officer from the 2009 batch, served as the Mela adhikari. The CAG noted that the departments under his supervision failed to provide adequate details regarding their expenditures, and he faced allegations of misappropriating funds intended for the fair to benefit senior government officials.
Previously, Anand served as the district magistrate in Varanasi and Gorakhpur before overseeing the 2017 Magh Mela and the 2019 Ardh Kumbh Mela.
For the Kumbh in 2025, a temporary district named the ‘Mahakumbh Mela District’ was established, with Anand appointed as its district magistrate.
Reports from Dainik Bhaskar indicate that the state government allocated Rs 4,236 crore for the 2019 event, significantly higher than the Rs 1,300 crore spent during the 2013 Mahakumbh, making the 2019 Kumbh three times more expensive.
The government claimed that approximately 23 crore devotees attended the 2019 Kumbh, and a budget of around Rs 7,500 crore was set for the Maha Kumbh in 2025.
The face of the river ‘mafia’: Pintu Mahra
Pintu Mahra has a total of eighteen criminal cases filed against him at the Naini police station, including serious charges such as murder, attempted murder and extortion. He has also faced allegations under the Gangster Act in both 2010 and 2016, as well as the Goonda Act in 2013 and 2015.
The ongoing struggle for power has resulted in the deaths of five of his family members.
Despite multiple jail terms, he often secures his release quickly, reportedly due to political connections.
The latest accusation against Pintu Mahra emerged on February 11 in the Maha Kumbh Kotwali area, where boatmen Shani Nishad and Pintu Nishad lodged a complaint of intimidation against him.
Reports indicate that Pintu’s father, Bachcha Mahra, has maintained a close association with a former BJP state president.
In Prayagraj, the Mahra family is believed to have strong ties with a senior BJP leader and former cabinet minister, facilitating their acquisition of contracts for electricity and sand mining.
Furthermore, Pintu’s aunt, Vimala Devi, has served as the pradhan or chief of the Arail village, while his cousin Pradeep Mahra currently holds the position of councillor in Arail.
Pintu Mahra and his mother Sukalavati. Photo: Special arrangement.
When The Wire Hindi asked Pintu Mahra about the number of boats he owned prior to the Kumbh, he revealed that his family possessed 60 boats and had constructed an additional 70 before the event started.
This raises questions about the sudden decision to build 70 boats in September. How did he undertake such a significant financial investment and a considerable risk?
Pintu explained, “I had witnessed the 2019 Kumbh (Ardh -Kumbh) and was inspired to seize the opportunity presented by the upcoming Kumbh in 2025. I had anticipated that it would be a mega event and therefore I decided to invest in new boats.”
Regarding the claim of generating Rs 30 crore, Pintu, a 40-year-old who drives a Scorpio and resides in an opulent two-storey home, clarified that this figure does not solely represent his earnings. He emphasised that it includes the collective income from 130 boats operated by his family and community, with many customers generously tipping in cash and jewellery.
Pintu’s mother Suklavati Devi further asserted that her son financed the boat purchases by mortgaging his wife Suman’s jewellery and their home documents, noting that they initially owned only three or four boats.
In September 2024, he acquired 70 new boats along with seven motor boats, while the remaining 60 boats belonged to his clan members.
The Wire Hindi has reached out to the district administration multiple times for their perspective on this matter, but has yet to receive a response. The report will be updated as and when a response is received.
Sushil Manav is an independent journalist.
Originally published on The Wire Hindi, this report was translated by Naushin Rehman.
