Need to curb fraud by travel agents: HC

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 14

Nearly two decades have elapsed since the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the chief secretaries of Punjab and Haryana to intervene for “avoiding repetition of the Malta boat tragedy”, in which 283 youngsters wanting to go abroad lost their lives. Yet, the menace of cheating innocent persons continues unabated. It has now compelled the High Court to direct curbing with a heavy hand the propensity to cheat by fake travel agents.

Justice Lalit Batra asserted it could not possibly be denied that the tendency and frequency of cheating innocent persons and misappropriating huge amounts by fake travel agents had been increasing day by day and was required to be curbed with a heavy hand. The observations came on a pre-assert bail filed by a person accused of cheating a youngster of Rs 24 lakh for sending him to the US. The Bench was told that instead of sending the complainant to the US, he was sent to Mexico from where he was deported to India.

Justice Batra ruled the custodial interrogation was certainly required for complete and effective investigation. Its denial to the investigating agency would leave glaring loopholes and gaps adversely affecting the probe. The High Court had, in April 2003, asked the chief secretaries to look after the “interest of poor prospective non-resident Indians, rather than confining their concern to those well-settled migrants who have already made a fortune abroad, so as to avoid repetition of Malta boat tragedy”. The authorities concerned were also asked to explore the feasibility of using the print, audio or electronic media for educating the masses about the pitfalls.

The High Court since then passed a slew of directions for preventing gullible people from getting lost in the wilderness while looking for greener pastures abroad. The Bench made it mandatory for the travel agents to mention their registration number in advertisements. Directions were also issued to Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to initiate suitable action against television channels and advertisers in case broadcast advertisements were not by registered agents.