Vadodara: Seventy Umrah pilgrims from Godhra, who had gone to Mecca and Medina, were allegedly cheated by a tour operator . The pilgrims realized this only after they had landed in Saudi Arabia. A complaint filed by the relative of one of the pilgrims alleged that the tour operator, Al Hayat Tours and Travels , had taken a hefty sum of Rs 80,000 from each of the pilgrims with promises of a seamless journey to Mecca.
They were initially taken to Mumbai, where they were kept for three days and then given their air tickets for Jeddah. According to the complaint, they landed at Jeddah and travelled to Mecca from there. They checked into their hotel on Sept 29.
However, things took a turn for the worse on Oct 5 when the hotel management informed them that they had to leave immediately. They were told that while the operator had paid an advance, the hotel was not given the remaining amount. The group arranged for accommodations at their own expense and stayed in Mecca for 10 days.
The group then left for Medina. A couple of members of the group also recorded videos regarding the situation they were facing. They will now have to make arrangements for their return to India.
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