Haj committee sends SMS to pilgrims asking for additional fees
Bengaluru, July 4: A SMS sent by Haj committee to the pilgrims from the state, asking for additional fees has created confusion among the pilgrims.
As per the notification by Haj committee of India, Haj pilgrims travelling from Mangaluru airport were asked to pay Rs. 2,63,450 to the green category for up and down journey. The first installment of the fees Rs. 81,000 was paid on January. The second installment amount Rs. 1,82,450 was scheduled to pay in May. But now the committee has sent a mobile SMS asking pilgrims to pay additional Rs.16,258 within 10th of July.
As per earlier notifications, pilgrims travelling from Bengaluru airport had to pay Rs. 2,61,250 for green category, Rs. 2,27,100 for Aziziya category. Pilgrims travelling from Mangaluru airport had to pay Rs. 2,63,450 for green category and 2,29,250 for Azizia category.
Pilgrims travelling from Hyderabad airport had to pay Rs. 2,47,750 for green category and Rs. 2,13,600 for Azizia category. Pilgrims travelling from Goa airport had to pay Rs. 2,63,100 for green category and Rs. 2,28,950 for Azizia category.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati State secretary of State Goodwill Forum Akbar Ali said, haj committee asking to pay additional Rs. 16,258, when the pilgrims are preparing to leave to haj through Mangaluru airport from July 21 to July 23, has stunned the pilgrims.
Haj committee of India clarification:
We have received complaints regarding haj committee of India's SMS asking haj pilgrims to pay additional fees. We have asked for clarification from the committee. We will get the explanation by tomorrow and will take action accordingly.
Sarfaraz Khan, Chief Executive officer, state haj committee.
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
