Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 22: Around 21 pilgrims who had gone for Umrah are stranded in Medina for past one week as the local tour operator, Al-Noor India Travels has on its own cancelled their return ticket, the anxious relatives of the stranded pilgrims said here.
These pilgrims had gone for Umrah and were scheduled to return India on March 16 but the tour operator has cancelled their tickets and switched off his cell phone.
The fresh duping comes after intending Haj pilgrims were duped by Hajeej India and Al-Balaagh Tours and Travels. This has led to anxiety among the relatives of the pilgrims about their safety and security.
Reports said that Al-Noor India Travels had taken a group of 21 persons for Umrah on February 28 and the batch was expected to return to New Delhi on March 16. But the owner of the company of his own cancelled the return tickets and the group continues to put up in Saudi Arabia much to the anxiety of their dear ones.
“We are worried about the safety of our dear ones and at the same time we are also highly critical of the attitude of the higher ups of Al-Noor India Travels. We were expecting that our near and dear ones would be back on March 16 at New Delhi but it came as a surprise to us that their tickets have been cancelled,” said a group of persons whose relatives were part of the group that undertook Umrah with Al-Noor Travels.
The aggrieved relatives said that the Al-Noor Travels re-scheduled the return of the Umrah pilgrims without informing pilgrims or their relatives. They said the return was first rescheduled for March 18 and then March 20, but still then there is no return with the pilgrims left stranded at Saudi Arabia.
“We met the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Shah and apprised him of the situation that has developed. He has assured us that the administration would provide all the possible help and ensure that action is taken against the violator.
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