Surat couple booked for cheating pilgrims

Vadodara: One more complaint of cheating was registered against a Surat-based couple who have conned many pilgrims by promising them trip to Kailash Mansarovar.
In the past, similar cases have been registered at Manjalpur and Fatehgunj police stations.

In the latest case lodged at Navapura police station, accused Ravishankar Paliwal, his wife Meenu Paliwal and their two accomplices Arvind Kothari and Ashok Suryanvanshi cheated Pankaj Shah, who lives near Polo Ground, of Rs 1.7 lakh. Shah told police that he was introduced to the accused’s trust – Sehraprant Yatra Sangh – by a friend as he wanted to visit Kailash Mansarovar.

Like many other victims, Shah paid them money in different amounts and was taken to Nepal on September 23 through Gorakhpur. The victims were taken to Pokhara for sightseeing for two days and then to Kathmandu.

But on reaching Kathmandu, one of the tour organizers left after informing them that the tour cannot proceed as the visas have not been obtained.

The pilgrims were left to fend for themselves. They approached the Indian Embassy in Nepal. The embassy officials informed them that no visa procedures were initiated for them by anyone following which all of them returned to city.

On October 3, Ravishankar sent Shah an image of a letter on WhatsApp promising to return the money as the tour was unsuccessful. However, the money was never returned and instead Shah was threatened.

Shah had given an application to register a case at Navapura police station following which an FIR was registered on Sunday.