Senior citizens duped of Rs 23 lakh by travel firm in Faridkot

The Faridkot police have registered an FIR against Avidfly Vacations Pvt Ltd, Chandigarh, and its directors for allegedly defrauding a group of senior citizens out of Rs 22.90 lakh. The company had promised to arrange a luxury 7-night, 8-day tour package to Dubai, scheduled for January 2025. Despite receiving payment, the tour was never executed.

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According to the FIR, the complainants were provided with a detailed itinerary that included stays at high-end hotels like Atlantis, The Palm. However, the company failed to deliver on its promises. Harmanpreet Singh, one of the company’s directors, allegedly admitted to receiving the funds and assured the SP (D), Faridkot, that the full amount would be refunded before April 20. Despite this commitment, no refund was issued.

The complainants, all elderly individuals from Faridkot, provided evidence, including bank transaction records, emails, and WhatsApp chats, to substantiate their claims. They alleged that the company deliberately delayed the refund by giving excuses and failed to return their hard-earned money.

The Faridkot police have registered a criminal case against Harmanpreet Singh, Supinder Singh, directors of Avidfly Vacations Pvt Ltd, and Mandeep Kaur, CEO of the company, under Sections 318(4), 339(3), 340(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

This is not the first instance of alleged fraud against Harmanpreet Singh. In April, he was booked by the Chandigarh Police for allegedly defrauding a businessman out of Rs 2.71 lakh for a Singapore tour package. Despite partial refunds, a cheque issued later bounced due to a signature mismatch.