Hundreds of Muslim Hajj pilgrims in Pune are facing issues after being selected for the 2026 Hajj through the government quota. Many are unable to pay the required first installment because private tour operators, who took money from them in 2025, have still not refunded and are dodging applicants. The pilgrims now demand a check over dishonest operators and a criminal investigation into the alleged multi-crore scam.
The Forum for Protection of Private Hajj Applicants, a collective representing defrauded pilgrims, has sounded the alarm across Maharashtra and beyond, urging community members to exercise extreme caution while dealing with private Hajj operators.
The forum alleges that over 2,000 applicants in 2025 were duped by private tour operators, who offered no written agreements, demanded cash payments, and are now giving flimsy excuses or refusing to respond altogether.
“These private operators have turned the holy Hajj into a business racket,” said Saleem Mulla, coordinator of the forum. “They claim they paid money to the Saudi government, but provide no documentary evidence. Most applicants were given informal receipts and instructed to pay in cash, much of it believed to be black money.”
“This is organised cheating, and we demand an immediate criminal investigation by the ED, CBI, Income Tax, and state police. These operators are not just dishonest, they are preying on the faith of ordinary Muslims,” Mulla added.
The situation has become particularly dire this year as the Hajj Committee of India has completed the digital draw (Qurrah) for Hajj 2026, and many 2025 private route applicants have now been selected under the government quota.
With the August 20 deadline for the first installment fast approaching, several selected pilgrims are at risk of losing their chance again because their money is still with unaccountable private operators.
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Mehrunisaa Shaikh, a victim from Pune, shared her ordeal, “We gave them everything — our money, our documents, our trust. Now we’re selected by the Hajj Committee, but our savings are gone. These operators pretend to be in Mecca or stop taking our calls. They’re thieves wearing religious masks.”
One of the most distressing cases is that of Abdul Rauf Shaikh, who paid Rs 16 lakh in 2025 to a private operator for himself and his family. “We were told to pay some of it in cash, without any proper documentation. Now, when we demand refunds, they disappear or say they’re out of the country. They’re just buying time. This isn’t just mismanagement but a fraud. These people must face criminal prosecution.”
Social activist Jaymala Dhankikar said, “This is a multi-crore scam. These operators are running an unregulated business empire under the garb of religious travel. We have formally demanded a probe by ED, Income Tax Department, and the CBI. The government must step in and crack down on these cartels.”
As the crisis deepens, members of the Pune Muslim community have come together to file a joint petition to the Union Home Ministry, ED, Income Tax, CBI, and the Maharashtra police.
The demand is to have a high-level investigation into what they call the “dark and shady underworld of private Hajj operations.” The petition alleges the use of black money, absence of regulatory compliance, and a pattern of financial and emotional exploitation of gullible pilgrims.
The Forum is also preparing to file collective FIRs and approach the Consumer Redressal Forum and civil courts for legal remedies. In the meantime, it has strongly advised all prospective Hajj applicants to go only through the official government Hajj Committee, which offers structured payments, receipts, and refund mechanisms.
As per the Hajj Committee data, selected applicants from Maharashtra must complete their first payment by August 20, failing which they risk losing their seat. For many victims of private operators, the date looms like a second heartbreak unless intervention comes fast.
