Foreigner held hostage by travel agents

In yet another incident of capital shame, a British national who had come to India for travelling purpose was allegedly cheated, harassed, misbehaved with and held hostage by travel agents who tried to extort money from her in the name of travel pack. The victim wrote an email in this respect to the British Embassy, which contacted the Delhi police, and her FIR was lodged.

A police source said that the victim was shifting from one hotel to another in central Delhi when travel agents surrounded her. One of the travel agents who was able to speak English, told her that he knew the way to the hotel where she had done the booking. However, instead of taking her to the hotel, he took her to a travel agency.

A source said, “He took her to the office of another travel agent situated in the middle circle of Connaught Place. A man there took away her passport from her wallet. The victim was frightened and did not resist. The man then booked a hotel in South Delhi and asked her to pay 800 Euros to which she agreed.”

She was also told by the accused that they had booked the flight for her return. The victim was then taken to the said South Delhi hotel where she received a call from her bank about a transaction of 1140 Euros (approximately Rs 97760) from her account. She immediately got her account and cards blocked. The victim has narrated in the e-mail that she was then left with only Rs 1400. She wanted to leave the hotel but the hotel staff shouted at her and did not let her go. “I was feeling uneasy and was frightened. I was in distress, it was a terrible experience,” she reportedly wrote in her email sent to the British Embassy.

The police source said that she somehow managed to go out of the hotel and left for the hotel which she had booked. The police said that they were investigating the matter.