A travel company owner in Thane’s Kalyan area has been booked for allegedly defrauding a sub-agent and 250 students from a Chembur engineering college of Rs 15.37 lakh in a flight ticket booking scam. The accused, operating from Khadakpada, faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and criminal breach of trust, according to Khadakpada police.

The sub-agent, tasked with arranging flights for 500 students traveling to Delhi, paid the accused Rs 29.78 lakh in installments over 10 months. Initially, the accused provided tickets for the first batch of 250 students, gaining the trust of the complainant and college authorities. However, he failed to deliver tickets for the remaining 250 students, causing a loss of Rs 15.37 lakh. Despite repeated demands for tickets or refunds, the accused became unresponsive.

The sub-agent lodged a complaint, leading to an FIR under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 316(2) (criminal breach of trust). Police are investigating to determine if others were similarly deceived. This case adds to a pattern of fraud in Thane, with recent reports of job scams and cryptocurrency frauds targeting vulnerable victims.

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