Haryana man held for duping people on pretext of providing tour package

A man was arrested in Delhi on Sunday for allegedly duping over 50 women on the pretext of providing them with a tour package to Vaishno Devi.

Madhur Kumar (36), from Haryana’s Panipat, became part of several Facebook groups formed by devotees and posted captivating messages to lure people with his fake tour packages, the police said.

He targeted victims in festive seasons, especially during Navratri, police said

The matter came to light in February when a Delhi resident filed a complaint alleging that she got a message on a Facebook group about a tour package to Vaishno Devi, they said.

The tour offer of Rs 1,300 per person included bus charges and meals. She was also assured that she would be taken to the final destination by a horse. So, she deposited the amount on the QR Code provided by the accused in a message on the group, police said.

When the complainant along with 24 other women reached a flyover close to Shahdara metro station on February 17, the organiser and the bus were not there.

The women tried to contact the organiser but his number was found to be switched off, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rohit Meena said that a case was registered under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.

Through technical evidence, police tracked him to and arrested him from his native place in Panipat, he said.

“During interrogation, the accused disclosed that to earn the easy money, he indulged in duping devotees, especially women,” he said.

The QR code belonged to his brother-in-law Tanu who resides in Kurukshetra. From Tanu, the cheated amount was disbursed to various accounts through UPI. Then, the accused received the money in cash from them, the DCP said.

Two mobile phones used in the commission of crime and SIM cards have been recovered, police said, adding a money trail of more than five lakhs has been found.

(With PTI inputs)