Pune: Travel Agent Cheats Senior Citizens Of ₹11.85 Lakh By Luring Them With Helicopter Char Dham Yatra
Pune: Travel Agent Cheats Senior Citizens Of ₹11.85 Lakh By Luring Them With Helicopter Char Dham Yatra
Pune, December 29, 2025: A case of large-scale financial fraud targeting senior citizens has come to light from the Pimple Saudagar area of Pimpri-Chinchwad. A travel agent allegedly cheated elderly residents of lakhs of rupees by enticing them with the promise of a low-cost Char Dham pilgrimage by helicopter. In total, 53 senior citizens were defrauded of ₹11.85 lakh. A case has been registered at the Sangvi police station.
According to the complaint, the accused targeted members of the ‘Anand Hasya Club’ located near Balasaheb Kunjir Stadium. The complainant, Rajendranath Hajriram Jastal, stated that Yogesh Prabhakar Deshmukh, director of ‘Bhakti Darshan Tours’, collected ₹45,000 each from 52 club members for the pilgrimage. The alleged fraud began in November 2023 and continued until December 25, 2025.
Out of 54 people, the accused took 28 pilgrims on the trip but reportedly made false promises even during the journey. He collected an additional ₹15,000 each from 16 people for a helicopter safari but failed to provide the service. Of the remaining 26 victims, only five received refunds. The accused allegedly misappropriated ₹9.45 lakh of the original tour amount and ₹2.40 lakh collected for helicopter services, totalling ₹11.85 lakh, before absconding.
After failing to recover their money, the senior citizens approached the police. Sangvi police have registered a cheating case against Yogesh Deshmukh and are investigating whether others were involved in the fraud.
