Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested a man in Reasi for cheating pilgrims by collecting money for accommodation and tour packages without providing the promised services.Police recovered Rs 60,000 in cash, bill books and visiting cards bearing travel firm's name from the accused, officials said.The case came to light after the supervisor of the hotel in Reasi complained that a man posing as a travel agent had collected money from the pilgrims for room bookings but failed to provide accommodation. Police registered an FIR and initiated an investigation.During the investigation, police found that the accused collected the money from a family in Uttar Pradesh for a tour package and issued a bill in the name of a travel firm despite no longer associated with it.
The police arrested the accused Vivek Sharma, a resident of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir, on October 14.Cash amounting to Rs 60,000, several bill books and visiting cards bearing the firm's name were recovered from him. Police said the investigation indicated that other people may have been cheated using a similar method.
Sharma is in judicial custody as the investigation continues to identify other victims and establish the extent of the suspected fraud.Jammu and Kashmir Police have advised pilgrims and tourists to verify travel agents' credentials and use authorised service providers when making bookings.- Ends