On Saturday, due to unknown reasons at Sabarmati station in Ahmedabad 1,200 pilgrims going to Nepal, Varanasi and Janakpuri were stranded. They had been told by a trust that they would be taken from Ahmedabad by a special train but when they reached the station, they realized they had been cheated. When they reached the station, they were told that the Railways had no direction to run a special train from Ahmedabad on Saturday. A pilgrim claimed he was given a receipt and an itinerary allegedly issued by Trust. “However, now when we are calling the number, they have been switched off there mobiles,” he said. Pilgrims have been waiting from Saturday night. As per Railway sources, taken from Abut was cancelled as party did not pay the money to Railways.
Another passenger said that the trust which had shown that its registered office was situated in Memnagar, had asked each passenger to pay Rs 4,850 for the trip to Janakpuri, Varanasi and Nepal. “Since the amount they had asked for was not much, I decided to join the tour. However, on reaching the station at Sabarmati, I realized that many had been cheated,” he said.
Tour operators collected Rs 8,000 to 10,000 from pilgrims for Kathmandu and Rs 60,000 for Mansarovar. Angry pilgrims have beaten up Tour Operators. In Ghatlodia Police Station FIR against two tour operators. They have been arrested.
