Father-son duo held for duping over 1,100 pilgrims

The city police today arrested a father-son duo for allegedly cheating more than 1,100 pilgrims by offering a Nepal tour which was later cancelled.
Based on a complaint filed by some of the victims, Ghatlodia police in the city arrested the tour organizers Natu Patel and his son Dipak this evening.
The duo, who claimed to be running an organisation called Lok Vichar Seva Trust, had put an advertisement in local papers informing that it had organised a religious discourse at Janakpuri, Nepal.
Malvika Surbhi, a complainant, said the trust collected a fee of Rs 8,000. "The organisers claimed they had booked a special train to reach the destination. They asked us to gather at Sabarmati Railway Station at 10 yesterday night," she said.

However, at the station they were informed that no such special train had been scheduled.
"The organisers then claimed that a Mumbai-based agent who was given the task of arranging the special train had cancelled the train booking at the last moment," according to Surbhi's complaint.
The pilgrims then approached the Government Railway Police who registered a complaint and forwarded it to Ghatlodia police, as the duo operated from that area.
"We have arrested them for further investigation," said inspector S D Gadhvi of Ghatlodia police.