More than 100 tourists were allegedly cheated by a local travel agency, 'Make my Holidays - Tours and Travel'. According to these tourists, the agency took from them money through its website for different travel packages to places like Lonavala and Kashmir.
However, when they came to the office with packed bags on Saturday, they found that the owner has already shut the office on Friday and had cheated them.
According to Vrajlal, who paid for a Kashmir package, the owner Kalpesh Panara, resident of Bopal, switched off his mobile phones on Saturday. "We came from Surat to board our bus, but after coming here, there was no one to answer us, as the office was shut."
"Me and my wife paid Rs 25,000 for a Kashmir package during Diwali" said Vrajlal, who also alleged that Navrangpura police refused to file a complaint.
"There were many others who came here as per the promise given by the agency. When we realised that we were cheated, we approached the Navrangpura police. But they refused to take our complaint," said Vrajlal, who went to Kashmir on his own after spending two days in Ahmedabad with his family.
On Saturday, as many as 100 people gathered near 'Make My Holidays' office at Swastik cross roads. These tourists came from Surat and Rajkot. They paid Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 to Panara, who promised to take them on tours during the Diwali vacation. But their dreams got ruined after they found that the agency was a fraud.
When contacted, Navrangpura police said that the offence was done through the agency's Surat office and so the compliant should be registered there. In the ensuing confusion, majority of the cheated tourists are now going back to their homes 'empty handed', as Panara has not been tracked down yet.
