Jamnagar spice trader duped of Rs 17L by travel agent

RAJKOT: A 39-year-old spice trader has alleged that an Ahmedabad-based travel agency owner duped him Rs 17.48 lakh by not returning the money for a cancelled tour.

In a complaint filed with Jamnagar City C Division police station, trader Mukesh Shah accused Anand Soni, the owner of Dream Holiday in Ahmedabad, of defrauding him of Rs 17.48 lakh. Based on the complaint, police have booked Soni under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and started an investigation.

Police said Shah owns Aradhya Sales Agency, which sells oil, ghee, and spices.

Shah mentioned in his complaint that he organizes tours for his customers every 2-3 years. For the 2020-21 period, he contacted Soni and booked a three-night package from Ahmedabad to Goa and back, at Rs 15,800 per person. Shah booked the package for his 323 customers for Rs 49.87 lakh. Soni informed him that the airline tickets for the group would cost Rs 19.5 lakh. Shah collected Rs 17.48 lakh in cash from his customers and sent it to Soni through an angadia firm.

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Soni cancelled the tour but assured Shah that the money would be refunded. Despite Shah's repeated requests to return the money or provide the PNR details of the booked tickets, Soni did not respond. Consequently, Shah had to sell his house in Sohamnagar Society in Jamnagar for Rs 18.50 lakh to repay his customers. The police are currently investigating the matter.