The Dahisar police have arrested Tejas Mahendra Shah, a travel businessman, for allegedly duping a senior citizen in connection with a travel scam. Shah reportedly embezzled Rs 5.5 lakh from the complainant, a 61-year-old man, for a New Zealand tour that never materialized.
Mahendra Lallubhai Panchal, the complainant, resides with his wife in Dahisar and operates a fabrication business with an office in Vasai’s Kamna area. In June 2023, Panchal and his wife planned an international vacation. During this time, Panchal saw an advertisement in a Gujarati newspaper for Purva Holidays Tours and Travels, which listed Shah’s contact number. Upon calling, Shah offered Panchal and his wife a special 50% discount on a New Zealand tour package. Trusting this offer, Panchal transferred Rs 5.5 lakh to a bank account provided by Shah, which was meant to cover airfare, hotel, meals, and other expenses.
However, just two days before the tour was set to commence, Shah abruptly canceled the trip without any explanation. Panchal requested a refund, but Shah remained unresponsive, and the cheque provided by Shah also bounced. Subsequent attempts to contact him were futile, and eventually, Shah blocked Panchal’s number.
Following this incident, Panchal filed a complaint with the Dahisar police, leading to an investigation and the eventual filing of a fraud case against Shah. During the probe, it was revealed that Shah owns Purva Holidays, a travel company in Dahisar. Allegedly, Shah has defrauded several other clients, collecting lakhs of rupees for international tours and then canceling them without refunds. He already faces similar fraud charges in multiple cases.
The police continue their investigation as more victims are expected to come forward.