Man gets 7 years’ rigorous imprisonment for Haj Pilgrimage fraud worth Rs 1.2 Crore
Balasore: The Odisha Protection of Interests of Depositors (OPID) Court in Balasore today convicted a man and awarded him seven years of rigorous imprisonment for Haj Pilgrimage fraud worth Rs 1.2 Crore.
The OPID Court in Balasore delivered the judgment holding the accused Nabeel Abdul Mubin Shaikh of Mumbai guilty U/s 420/406/467/468/471/120-B IPC, and sentenced him to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment for seven years and to pay fine of Rs 2.75 Lakhs. On default of fine amount accused will undergo further imprisonment of 15 months.
The case was registered on September 12, 2024 and Charge Sheet vide No.28 dt.23.12.2024 was submitted U/s 420/406/467/468/471/120-B IPC against the accused Nabeel Abdul Mubin Shaikh who was arrested on September 27, 2024 from Mumbai, keeping the investigation of the case open against the other accused persons.
This is worth to mention that the judgement of conviction came out as a part of speedy trial that took only 3 months and 5 days after submission of CS and 6 months and 15 days from the registration of the case.
The case was registered on the written report of Mir Khursid of Kazimahala in Bhadrak district against the proprietors of ‘AlAdam Tour & Travels’ namely Firdos Bi Abdul Mubin Shaikh, her son Nabeel Abdul Mubin Shaikh and daughter Saima Anjum Shaikh, and Md. Bismillah Shaikh, Prop: Al-Izma Tours & Travels of Vikhroli Kurla, West Mumbai for collecting cash of Rs 45,786 and Rs 50,786 from each of the prospective pilgrims totaling to Rs 1.2 Crores from 189 devotees, during the period from 2019-23, to arrange their pilgrimage to Saudi Arab on the eve of UMRAH. But, the above accused Proprietors neither took the prospective pilgrims on pilgrimage nor did they refund the amount so collected from them.
During the period from 2019-23, the accused proprietors of M/s AlAdam Tour & Travel Agency floated advertisements in social media apart from distributing leaflets containing the lucrative packages, contact details etc. whereby they induced /motivated the Muslim devotees to avail the opportunity under two of their tour packages of Rs 45,786 and Rs 50,786 per individual pilgrim to go on UMRAH pilgrimage to Arab Countries like Mecca-madina etc. They assured the pilgrims of cheap, secured and safe pilgrimage.
Being induced, devotees of Bhadrak, Balasore, Baripada and other parts of Odisha, deposited their respective amounts in the given accounts in the advertisements through bank transfer, apart from paying in UPI and even by cash under money receipts given by the accused proprietors.
The arrested accused and his mother are the authorized signatories of the accounts in which the pilgrims’ money has been deposited. The collection by the owners of ‘Al-Adam Tour & Travels’ continued till the first half of 2023 after which the proprietors switched off their mobile phones and remained disconnected from the depositors. Very few investors who had insisted on the refund of their amounts were given the cheques by the accused proprietors which were dishonored by the bank. Thereafter, various efforts by the depositors proved futile to locate the office of the agency and its proprietors.
Over the period from 2019 to 1st half of 2023, the owner of ‘AlAdam Tour & Travels’ Firdos Bi Abdul Mubin Shaikh, son Nabeel Abdul Mubin Shaikh, daughter Saima Anjum Shaikh and one of their partners Mohamad Bishmillah Shaikh proprietor of ‘Al-Ijma Tour & Travels’ by entering into a criminal conspiracy fraudulently collected Rs 1.2 Crore approx. from the prospective pilgrims of Muslim Community, and misappropriated the same.
Pranab Kumar Panda, Spl. PP, OPID Court, Balasore was conducting the prosecution. Inspector Tapas Ranjan Sahu is the Investigating Officer of the case.
