Gujarat: Case filed against travel firm for tampering with Statue of Unity entry tickets

AHMEDABAD: A case of cheating and forgery was filed on Friday against a Surat-based travel agency for allegedly tampering with the entry tickets of 12 tourists who visited the Statue of Unity (SoU) at Kevadia in Gujarat's Narmada district, officials said.
An FIR under IPC sections 420 (cheating) and forgery (468) and under relevant sections of the IT Act was lodged against the private travel firm at the Kevadia police station by constable Shantilal Tadvi on behalf of the Statue of Unity Area Development and Tourism Governance Authority (SOUADTGA), said a statement by the Authority.
An official of the Kevadia police station confirmed registration of the FIR against the agency, Travel Mark, for issuing tampered tickets in order to overcharge Rs 360 from 12 tourists - seven adults and five children - during their visit to the colossal monument earlier in the day.
The fraud came to light after the staff deployed at the entry gate of the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue that is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, thoroughly checked these tickets, said the statement. Though the actual price for entry of an adult is Rs 380, it was printed Rs 410 on seven tickets.
Similarly, instead of Rs 230 charged for children, all the five tickets of the kids had Rs 260 written on the printouts of the online tickets, said the statement. When asked about the origin of the tickets, the tourists said they bought them from Surat-based Travel Mark by paying the rates printed on them, it said.
A close inspection revealed Travel Mark staff booked these tickets online by paying the original amount and then changed the price in the PDF file of the tickets before taking their printouts, which were handed over to the tourists, the statement said.
The authority appealed to people to book tickets only through their official mobile app or website.