Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): With more people approaching police with complaints of alleged fraud in the name of Umrah pilgrimages and business partnerships, the suspected amount involved in the case against Kohinoor Haj and Umrah Services operator Hafiz Rahil Khan could exceed Rs 50 lakh.
Police have taken the suspect on remand for further questioning and are investigating whether more people were duped by him.
According to reports, Khan collected money from people on the pretext of sending them to Mecca and Medina for Umrah but failed to arrange their pilgrimage or return their money.
He also lured an Ayurvedic doctor from the Tila Jamalpura area into investing in a proposed business partnership.
Kotwali police had registered four cases of cheating against Khan after complaints from victims who alleged that they had paid money for Umrah but were never sent on the pilgrimage.
Following his arrest, several other people approached the police with similar complaints, raising suspicion that the scale of the alleged fraud could be much larger.
Police are now examining the complaints and financial transactions to establish the total amount collected by the suspect.
Investigators are also trying to ascertain whether other people were also involved in the alleged racket. As per complaints, Khan collected cash from Rizwan Mirza, Musavvir Shah Khan, Faiz Ali and others.
The victims alleged that despite making the payments, they were not sent for Umrah.
When they demanded their money back, Khan cited the Iran-Israel conflict as a reason for the delay. He reportedly assured them that their money would be returned by May 25 and issued a cheque, which bounced.
In a separate complaint, an Ayush doctor from Tila Jamalpura was duped of Rs 10 lakh by Khan on the pretext of a business partnership.
ACP Kotwali Santosh Patel said the number of complainants against the suspect was increasing and the total defrauded amount may also rise following investigations.
