Judge duped of Rs 24L on pretext of Haj pilgrimage; two arrested

Lucknow: A judge posted in Saharanpur was duped of nearly Rs 24 lakh on the pretext of arranging Haj pilgrimage.

Police have arrested two people, Osama Rashidi (30) and Ejaz Ahmad (31), from Lucknow, while two other accused are on the run.

The complainant, currently posted as an additional district and sessions judge (SC/ST), said he had planned a Haj pilgrimage with his family.

The judge said that he came in contact with Aamir Rashidi, his son Fahad Rashidi, and their associate Ejaz Ahmad in July 2025, who introduced themselves as representatives of a travel firm, Al Fahad Tourism Pvt Ltd.

The accused offered an all-inclusive Haj package costing Rs 4.75 lakh per person. The package promised visa processing, air travel to Saudi Arabia, accommodation, food, local transport, and guide services.

To gain credibility, Ejaz Ahmad sent a formal agreement via WhatsApp on July 31, 2025, claiming to be the company’s general manager. The document carried a company seal and even said it could be submitted before the Allahabad high court for travel permission.

Trusting the offer, the judge transferred Rs 23.99 lakh in phases to accounts linked to the accused. However, as the travel date approached, the accused allegedly kept delaying the issuance of visas and tickets before eventually refusing to provide any documents.

Investigation revealed that the firm had no valid licence to arrange Haj tours and had used forged documents and fake credentials to execute the fraud.

The company was reportedly shown as registered under the names of Osama Rashidi and Mohammad Aamir Rashidi, with an address in Hussainganj, Lucknow.

SHO, cyber cell, Indresh Saroj Chauhan, said that the travel company had been running in Lucknow from the last seven years and the owners did not have any legal paper for sending people on Haj package by the Saudi govt.

“We are searching for two other accused in the case and also tracing other people duped by the company,” he said.
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