A significant fraud involving counterfeit international air tickets has been uncovered in Mohali, sending shockwaves through the local community and raising serious concerns about unregulated travel agencies. The IT City police have taken decisive action, registering a formal case against Deepak Raj, the proprietor of Sai Travels, based on allegations of systematically cheating customers by providing them with completely fake flight documents.
The Complaint That Unraveled the Scam
The case came to light following a detailed complaint filed by Vishal Sharma, a resident of Harmilap Nagar in Baltana. According to the official police report, Sharma approached Sai Travels to book a ticket for international travel. On February 19, he finalized the booking for a flight from Delhi to Vancouver, Canada, and made a payment of Rs 76,035 using his credit card.
The very next day, on February 20, Deepak Raj sent Sharma an e-ticket that purported to be issued by the reputable airline, Cathay Pacific. However, Sharma's instincts raised doubts about the document's authenticity. He decided to take the prudent step of directly contacting the airline's official customer care for verification.
Airline Confirms Documents Are Forged
To his utter shock and dismay, the airline's representatives delivered devastating news. They confirmed that the ticket number and PNR (Passenger Name Record) provided on the e-ticket were completely fabricated. There was no record of any such booking in Cathay Pacific's official system for the mentioned dates or passenger details. The airline later provided a written confirmation, stating unequivocally that the ticket was not issued by them.
This prompted Vishal Sharma to escalate the matter to the police. Acting on his complaint and the subsequent directions from the SSP of Mohali, a departmental inquiry was initiated. The probe, led by a deputy superintendent of police, revealed a clear pattern of deception. It was established that despite receiving the full payment from the customer, Deepak Raj had not made any actual booking with the airline. Instead, he had simply generated and shared professionally forged ticket documents to mislead the victim.
Travel Agency Operating Without a Valid Licence
The investigation took a more serious turn when authorities dug deeper into the credentials of Sai Travels. A verification process with the district magistrate's office uncovered a critical fact: the travel agency was operating without a valid licence. This illegal operation provided the perfect cover for the alleged fraudulent activities.
Furthermore, the police discovered that the accused, Deepak Raj, is not a first-time offender. His name had already been implicated in a similar fraud case registered earlier in Ludhiana. This previous involvement strongly suggests that he may be a habitual offender, potentially running a scheme to cheat multiple unsuspecting customers seeking international travel options.
Based on the accumulated evidence, a formal case was registered at the IT City police station. The charges have been framed under the relevant sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) and the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act. The investigation has been entrusted to ASI Rajinder Singh, who is now leading the efforts to track down the accused.
Police officials have stated that active efforts are underway to trace Deepak Raj, who is currently absconding. Additionally, a crucial part of the investigation now involves identifying and reaching out to more potential victims who may have been cheated in an identical manner but have not yet come forward to report the crime. This case serves as a stark warning for travelers to always verify their bookings directly with the airline and to deal only with licensed and reputable travel agents.
