The Hindu : New Delhi News : Two arrested on duping charge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 09, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Two arrested on duping charge

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 8. Two persons have been arrested by the South Delhi police for allegedly duping people on the pretext of sending them abroad for job. The police have recovered passports of more than 90 people from the accused.

According to the police, Hamid Ahmed Qureshi, a resident of Chhapra in Bihar, had complained to the Kotla Mubarakpur police in South Delhi on June 16 saying that he was cheated by a travel agency on the pretext of getting him a job in Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Qureshi told the police that Mohammad Shafiullah, managing director of M/S Sunrise International Travel Agency in South Extension, Part-I, had assured that he would not only get a job for him in Saudi Arabia, but also arrange for his visa. He demanded Rs. 95,000 for the job. Mr. Qureshi paid up Rs. 20,000 on February 29. The rest was to be paid after his visa was cleared.

Shafiullah assured Mr. Qureshi that he would be flying to Saudi by March 16. On March 12, Mr. Qureshi contacted Shafiullah, who asked him to wait for 10 more days and subsequently for a fortnight more.

On April 10, Mr. Qureshi, who had gone to his native place, got a call from Shafiullah saying that his visa has been cleared. Mr. Qureshi then arranged for two bank drafts, worth Rs. 40,000 and Rs. 35,000, and gave them to Shafiullah on April 14 who asked him to come after a week.

The victim visited the office once again only to be told that he would have to go Mumbai to catch the flight. Shafiullah told him that his brother, Nisar, was in Mumbai and that he has made all the arrangements for his flight.

He assured Qureshi that Nisar would receive him at the railway station and help him further. Mr. Qureshi went to Mumbai but did not find Nisar. He contacted Shafiullah, who in turn, again asked him to stay in Mumbai till June 2. On June 2, Mr. Qureshi did meet Nisar only to be told that since Shafiullah had not made the payment to him, he should return to Delhi. Mr. Qureshi returned to the Capital and tried to contact Shafiullah in his office.

But, he did not meet him. Instead, his partners, Mohammad Manzer and Harender Prasad, met Mr. Qureshi and told him not to visit the office again.

Following investigations, the police arrested Shafiullah and his partner, Manzer. Their interrogation revealed that they used to work for a licenced travel agency, Sunrise International, based in South Extension, Part-I. However, the licence of the company had expired a few years ago and the accused had continued to operate fraudulently.

The police also recovered 92 passports and Rs. 46,000 in cash from the accused. Further investigations in the case are on.

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