‘Fake’ journalist-cum-travel agent arrested for selling fake Amarnath air tickets

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Crime Branch Jammu on Sunday arrested a fraudster Sanjay Bajaj alias Sidharth Sharma, running an unregistered travel company at Roop Nagar in Jammu for selling fake air tickets of Shri Amarnath Shrine.
Soon after his arrest, the Crime Branch produced him before the Tehsildar, who granted six days police remand.
It was also found that the accused Sanjay Bajaj had been indulging in this fraudulent activities since long and had been using press and media references and through an unregistered travel agency had cheated many innocent pilgrims.
According to FIR, a complaint was lodged by Rajesh Gupta (J&K Representative) of Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd. A-54 Kailash Colony, New Delhi) wherein he alleged that his company Global Vectra Helicopter Ltd. was having its contract with Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, J&K for providing helicopter service on Neelgrath-Panchtarni route for which prices for heli service, for one way journey, was fixed at the rate of Rs. 1715 whereas, the sale of the tickets was to be regulated through an SOP prepared by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.
It was further alleged that on 4th June, 2017, a call from phone number 7889859574 was received at the New Delhi office from one Sudarshan Sharma of Jammu who asked the company to authenticate the 22 helicopter tickets of Neelgrath-Panchtarni-Neelgrath route, which he had purchased from one Sanjay Bajaj Prop. Sidhi Vinayak Tour & Travels, Roop Nagar, Jammu, Ph. No. 7889817800.
Sudarshan Sharma also shared the copies of tickets on Whatsapp which on perusal were found to be fake and immediately he was told that neither the company had authorised any such agency/person to book tickets in this manner nor the tickets sent by him were genuine. Moreover, the two way cost per ticket was Rs.3,430 only whereas, the fake tickets were worth Rs.6,500. The complainant had further alleged that in order to verify the facts at his own level the alleged ticket seller Sanjay Bajaj was contacted through one Haridwar based travel agency for purchase of helicopter tickets on phone number 7889817800 upon which the said Sanjay Bajaj alias Sidharth Sharma told that he is running his travel agency at Roop Nagar near Police Station, Jammu and can provide tickets at the rate of Rs.5,500 and further asked to share the details of the passengers on his email id [email protected] and also send the money in his bank account maintained as SV Holiday India Regd. Prop. Sanjay Kumar, Punjab National Bank-Account No. 4575002100001526, Branch Durga Nagar, Jammu-IFSC PUNBO457500, upon which an amount of Rs. 22,000 was transferred in his A/c on 4th June, 2017 and a request was made for to and fro tickets on Neelgrath-Panchtarni sector which were accordingly sent through mail by the accused, which on perusal were also found to be fake.
The complainant Rajesh Gupta requested that as the matter was associated with the holy pilgrimage and also involves and affects the reputation of his company, the matter may be investigated at an earliest.
On receipt of this complaint, a preliminary verification was initiated in Crime Branch, Jammu and during the course of verification it was found that accused Sanjay Bajaj, Prop. Sidhi Vinayak Tour & Travels, resident of H. No. 23 Mohalla Hari Om Enclave 1/B Roop Nagar opposite Peer Baba Jammu had, without any authorisation prepared fake and forged helicopter tickets and sent the same to the aide of the complainant and in the process had obtained an amount of Rs. 22.000 in his A/c No. 4575002100001526, details whereof were obtained from the concerned Bank.
According to JNF, the accused Sanjay Bajaj is also bureau chief of Tezz Khabar Hindi online News Channel, Nation Live News, Keyline News Delhi, and Vice President of Unity of Press and Media Association.