9 people conned of Rs 8 lakh on pretext of Haj pilgrimage

Four travel agents have been booked for allegedly conning nine persons from Jamitpura village in the district of Rs 8 lakh on the pretext of getting them visas and tickets for Haj pilgrimage, police said today.
The victims had approached a local court alleging that Shafique Mohammed, Idris and Shadab, working in Chittogarh city, and Yusuf from Mumbai had cheated them of Rs 90,000 each as advance for Haj pilgrimage, SHO, Talera police station, Ghyanchand Meena said.
On the orders of the court, police lodged a case against the four accused under relevant sections of the IPC yesterday and started a probe in the matter, he said.

Of the four accused, Shafique Mohammed has been taken into police custody and his interrogation is on, police said, adding that the remaining three are absconding.
Shanawaz, resident of Borkedha area, has lodged an FIR against Shafique Mohammed that he had conned him of Rs 3.6 lakh for Haj pilgrimage in Kishorepura police station of Kota city, SHO, Kishorepura police station, Ramnath Singh said.
Meanwhile, District Waqf Board president and former chairman of Municipality Board, advocate Nurruddin said three members of his family and two of another family had booked five tickets and paid Rs 5 lakh to the three accused agents from Chittorgarh.

However, they did not get visa or ticket till last date of Haj pilgrimage, which was on October 2. Out of shock over the incident, one of his family members was admitted to hospital.
The two families would soon lodge complaint against the accused, he said.
A large number of aspirants for Haj pilgrimage have reportedly been cheated of their money in Kota and Bundi districts by the accused travel agents.