Travel portal owners booked for cheating

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 2

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has lodged a complaint against a travel portal for unlawful bookings and sale of helicopter tickets to pilgrims travelling from Katra to Sanjichhat and back for performing “darshan” at the holy cave shrine of Goddess Vaishno Devi in Reasi district.

According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the board, AK Sahu, the sale of helicopter tickets for pilgrims travelling from Katra to Sanjichhat and back was the sole prerogative of the CEO and his designated authorities and he has not authorised any agent, agency or person to use the shrine board name or nomenclature to sell or undertake online booking of helicopter tickets or for any other services whatsoever which are being provided by the shrine board.

The CEO informed that any misrepresentation of the shrine board by any person or agency whatsoever would invite civil and criminal legal action. He yet again appealed to all the pilgrims to use only the official website of the board for booking yatra facilities such as helicopter tickets and must not be misled by fraudulent advertisements, which may be issued by unauthorised websites, which offer booking of helicopter tickets, sale of Prasad, etc.

He said www.maavaishnodevi.org is the one and only official website of the shrine board and any other website which claims to have been authorised by the board is “fraudulent and therefore unlawful”.

He informed that the shrine board office has been receiving complaints regarding unauthorised sale of helicopter tickets for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage by certain travel agents operating from Katra and elsewhere.

“It has also come to fore that there are a number of websites which offer package for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, which include booking of helicopter tickets,” he said and clarified that the booking and sale of helicopter tickets was the sole prerogative of the CEO who had not authorised any person or agency to sell helicopter tickets or book shrine board accommodation.

The CEO has issued public notices to this effect from time to time warning all such websites and agents to refrain from engaging in any illegal activities which are intended to dupe the pilgrims and also cause harm to the shrine board’s reputation.

Taking a serious view of the false commitments and unlawful bookings which were being offered by a travel portal, www.flightraja.com, the CEO has lodged a complaint with the Katra police station against the portal and its agents.

The Katra police station has registered an FIR for cheating against the portal. “It is contemplated to invoke the provisions of the IT Act for investigating this case,” an official spokesperson said.