Palghar Travel Firm Owner Duped of ₹12 Lakh by Delhi-Based Agent in Tour Booking Scam

Palghar, May 10 — A woman entrepreneur running a travel company in Vasai, Palghar district, has reportedly been defrauded of over ₹12 lakh by a travel agent based in Delhi, police said on Saturday. The accused allegedly offered a fraudulent business collaboration under the pretext of handling tour bookings, prompting police to launch an investigation.

Fraudulent Partnership Proposal​

According to the police, the complainant alleged that Praful Gour, a Delhi-based travel agent, approached her between September 2024 and April 2025, offering to manage both domestic and international tour packages on behalf of her company.

Trusting the proposal, the victim transferred an advance of ₹12,34,824 to facilitate the arrangement. In addition to this, Gour reportedly collected money from tourists, primarily for Dubai tour packages, without transferring any of the proceeds to the complainant’s business.

FIR Filed Under New BNS Sections​

An FIR has been lodged at Manickpur police station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS):

• Section 316(5) – Criminal breach of trust
• Section 318(4) – Cheating

An officer confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and efforts are underway to trace the accused and recover the defrauded amount.

Warnings for the Travel Sector​

This incident has raised concerns within the travel industry, particularly regarding fraudulent third-party collaborations. Entrepreneurs are being advised to conduct due diligence and formal vetting before entering into financial agreements with external agents.