MAPUSA
Anjuna police have arrested a man for allegedly cheating tourists through a holiday package scheme operated under the name of GOII Vacation Private Limited. Police suspect his involvement in several similar cases registered across the State.
The accused, identified as Gauresh Shirodkar, a resident of Dongrim, Mandur, was arrested in connection with a case registered at Anjuna police station on October 29 under Sections 318(4) and 111 read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The case was registered following a complaint by a 26-year-old woman from Ramanagaram, Karnataka, who works as an engineer. She alleged that she was cheated of Rs 99,430 through the holiday package scheme.
Modus operandi
During the investigation, police found that the accused was allegedly operating GOII Vacation Private Limited, through which field staff were deployed to attract prospective customers using various methods, including the distribution of scratch cards.
Customers were subsequently taken to Hotel Lemon Tree in Arpora, where other staff members allegedly made presentations about holiday packages and persuaded them to make payments. Police said the complainant was allegedly cheated using a similar modus operandi.
Multiple cases
Further investigation revealed that multiple FIRs had been registered against Shirodkar at various police stations across Goa. These include four cases at Panaji police station, one at Calangute police station, one at the Economic Offences Cell in Panaji and three at Anjuna police station.
Police suspect that the accused was part of an organised operation targeting tourists, with the alleged activities also affecting Goa’s image as a tourist
destination.
Considering the nature of the alleged operation, the multiple complaints and the need to identify other persons involved, police arrested Shirodkar.
The accused was produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Mapusa on Friday, which remanded him to three days of police custody for further investigation.
