Duo arrested for cheating Hajj pilgrims in Bangalore

The police have arrested two men for cheating pilgrims visiting Mecca. The duo was remanded to judicial custody.

Mohammed Aslam and Mir Tabraiz Ahmed were operating the racket under the banner, Mir Muslim Tours and Travels. They also ran two more tours and travel companies in the city.

The strategy of the duo was to deploy some people outside mosques to hold their company banners, and attract people by offering discounts on a Hajj pilgrimage package. They also claimed to give another discount of Rs30,000 to those who make advance payment. Lured by this, nearly 100 people registered themselves in the racket. The duo collected Rs1.2 crore from them, police said.

The racket came to light after the police arrested Aslam and Tabraiz in an extortion case.

“The two used to receive money from the pilgrims and later cheat them by not responding to queries about their visas. While Ahmed posed as a doctor from the US, Aslam used to threaten people by telling them that he had connections with the underworld and top politicians,” a police official said.

Several cases of cheating and extortion have been filed against the duo in different police stations.