Travel agency owners held for cheating clients, staff

The Bangur Nagar police on Friday arrested two persons who run a travel agency in Malad (West) for allegedly cheating its employees and clients. HT reports.

The Bangur Nagar police on Friday arrested two persons who run a travel agency in Malad (West) for allegedly cheating its employees and clients.

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Several employees and clients of the company approached the police station on November 5 and claimed that they had been duped by its owners. The police said that about 333 complainants have come forward in the case, alleging a total fraud of Rs 1 crore.

According to the police, Move Holidays, a travel agency owned by Karan Vyas and his wife Akshata, has a 200 sq ft office in Kemp Plaza, Malad (West). The police have arrested Karan Vyas and the country coordinator of the agency, Virendra Singh.

The police said that when the employees reached their workplace on November 5, they found that some labourers were clearing up the office of its furniture and laptops. When the employees called their bosses, the trio’s phones were switched off.

“The employees got in touch with the clients to see if the trio had established any contact with them. Having realised they have been duped too, 333 clients came forward alleging that the trio had fled with their payments made for the travel packages to Goa, Bangkok and Thailand,” said an official from the Bangur Nagar police.

The police said that the travel agency offered trips to Goa, Kerala, Thailand, Bangkok and Kashmir at throw-away prices. R Bagul, senior inspector of Bangur Nagar police said, “The duo has been arrested under Indian Penal Code sections 420 for cheating and 34 for common intent.”