Surendranagar: Tour operators from Mehsana have duped over 450 people in the Surendranagar city area of Gujarat under the pretext of organising a trip to Haridwar.

The investigation has revealed that Lakhmanji Chandubhai Thakor, Vikramsinh Jamsinh Parmar, and Natvarsinh Jashvantsinh Jhala of Mehsana had opened a travel agency office in Surendranagar.

It has been learnt that the accused had recently announced a 10-day trip to Haridwar for Rs 4,200 per person. The package promised visits to Haridwar, Rishikesh, and nearby religious sites in Uttarakhand, along with complete arrangements for accommodation, meals, and bus transportation.

Attracted by the low cost, more than 450 devotees from various parts of Surendranagar signed up for the trip by paying Rs 4,200 per person to the operators. Some even paid for their entire families, comprising four to five members each.

The organiser issued payment receipts to everyone and instructed them to gather at a designated location on a specific date and time.

More than 200 people — including elderly women and children — gathered at the designated spot on Wednesday morning. However, no buses arrived despite waiting for hours. When they tried to call the tour organisers, they were not reachable. When they found that both their home and office were locked, they realised they had fallen victim to a major fraud.

"They charged Rs 4,200 for each ticket. Now, their mobile phones are switched off," says one of the victims, Premilaben.

Subsequently, they went to the police station and stated that their hard-earned money had been swindled, requesting the personnel to help recover their money and arrest the accused. The pilgrims have demanded the strictest possible action against such fraudsters to ensure that no other devotee falls victim to a similar scam in the future.

The city police have initiated an investigation, and efforts are underway to locate the tour operator using his mobile number and address. "The entire matter is under investigation. A formal complaint will be filed, and further action will be taken based on it," Inspector RM Sanghada said.