New Delhi, November 27 The Delhi Police have booked a father and daughter for cheating and duping tourists and travel agents alike with fake discounted air and hotel vouchers, thereby blowing the lid off on a major travel fraud in the city that the duo pulled off with impunity, purportedly for many years.
The accused, named Sandeep Chowdhary and his daughter Mallika Chowdhary, came under police lens for orchestrating an elaborate scam, under which they allegedly used fake holiday bookings and fabricated bookings to hoodwink the tourists.
Various FIRs have been filed against the father-daughter duo at multiple police stations, under the BNS for cheating and other related offences. According to the FIR lodged at New Friends colony on November 13, the victim was robbed of about Rs 8 lakh under the pretext of cheap air tickets and hotel bookings.
The victim sought the services of the accused for a Singapore tour and booked sir tickets. After taking full payments for the ticket and travel booking, the accused persuaded them to cancel their plans and then denied them the refund. The victim also claimed that the accused didn’t respond to their repeated requests for a refund.
Ashish Jain, a Gurugram-based businessman, also a victim of the travel fraud, shared with IANS the modus operandi of the father-daughter duo and how many travel agents like him fell victim to the latter’s tactful machinations.
He said that he and his travel agency were duped to the tune of Rs 70 lacs by the accused. He added that an FIR was lodged against the accused at the Anand Vihar police station, and the case is now being investigated.
Ashish Jain, who runs a tour and travel company, accused Mallika Chaudhary of contacting him through a mutual contact and then conspiring to defraud him.
“She first took me into confidence by promising a good business opportunity and also later giving a bulk order of air tickets. I fulfilled the booking requirements through my own credit lines, thinking that payment would come, but it never came. I asked them many times for payment, but that never happened. Both father and daughter stopped taking my calls and also blocked me from contacting them,” he stated.
Another FIR registered at the New Friends colony police station mentions that the same accused defrauded two brothers for nearly 12 lakhs on the pretext of providing them with cheap hotels and air tickets.
Victim identified as Dhruv Goyal told police that he contacted them while booking air tickets and hotels for vacations in Switzerland. He contacted Mallika Chaudhary and booked a vacation package through her.
He was charged Rs 5.48 lac for tickets and more than Rs 2 lakhs for hotel stay. As they were offered good discounts, the brothers booked air tickets.
Later, they realised that neither their booking had been done, nor had they received any refund, following which they approached the police.
Dr Hemant Tiwari, DCP, South-East Delhi, told the press that the FIR has been registered at the New Friends Colony police station under appropriate sections, and teams have been deployed to investigate the case.
“Police will take suitable actions based on the findings of the investigation,” he added.
--IANS
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