Kolkata: A travel agent has been arrested for allegedly duping a family from Rajarhat of Rs14.3 lakh for a Europe trip that never took place. The accused, Rakesh Nandan Das, was arrested on Thursday night from Egra in East Midnapore, becoming the second person arrested in this case.
The victim, Arthita Chatterjee, a software engineer from Bangalore and a resident of Block B, Rajarhat, had booked a tour for six family members through Travel Bazar Global, a company operating from Srijan Corporate Tech Park in Sector V.
Chatterjee alleged that Basharul Islam Munna, also known as Shaikh Bashar, the company’s director, along with aides Arpan Dey and Rakesh Das, promised a tour covering Europe and London.
According to Bidhannagar Police, the package was booked on April 23, 2023, and the full payment was completed by May 2024. The initial departure date was set for August 7, 2024, but delays in the visa process caused the trip to be postponed to August 24.
Despite repeated follow-ups, Chatterjee claimed she only received visa appointment letters after threatening legal action. After August 19, the agency reportedly cut off all communication.
In her police complaint filed on August 20, 2024, at Electronics Complex Police Station, Chatterjee accused the agency of giving false assurances and fabricated documents. A senior investigator confirmed that the submitted evidence pointed to cheating and fraud.
The company’s director, Basharul Islam Munna, was arrested earlier, and now Das has also been taken into custody.
Police are continuing the investigation and have not ruled out more arrests.
