With a glitter in his eyes, Zahoor Ahmed travelled from a small hamlet in Rajasthan to the Mumbai airport. He wasn’t looking to become a Bollywood celebrity. After a lengthy battle, his wish to perform the hajj was about to come true. Together with 39 other pilgrims, Zahoor awaited the big airport with anticipation, but the wait grew agonisingly long and anxious before he experienced a significant shock. The travel agent who was supposed to deliver their e-tickets and visa never showed up. Several times from outside the terminal, Zahoor called him. All of the pilgrims’ money, which totalled more than Rs 1 crore, is believed to have been stolen by the Indore-based hajj agency Al Malik Haj Umrah Tour and Travels.
And to make matters worse, 14 of the 39 passengers stuck at the airport were family members of Zahoor. He had organised the pilgrimage, persuaded them of the practicalities, and obtained their funds before giving them to Malik. After making dozens of phone calls later that day, on September 9, 2022, he eventually connected with the agent.
And to make matters worse, 14 of the 39 passengers stuck at the airport were family members of Zahoor. He had organised the pilgrimage, persuaded them of the practicalities, and obtained their funds before giving them to Malik. After making dozens of phone calls later that day, on September 9, 2022, he eventually connected with the agent. Zahoor recollects, “Malik told me he didn’t have our money and we wouldn’t get tickets to go to Hajj.” His astonishment was replaced by despair and desperation. How was he going to give the money back to all of his friends and family? He admits that he initially considered suicide, but changed his mind after realising that disguising his face would do nothing.
Many gullible and ignorant Muslim families, especially those from rural and small towns, are falling victim to hajj fraud in India. These are the people who borrow money from friends or scrape together their entire life savings to make the trek but lose their money to con artists. Some even call the police, but the majority are burdened with significant debt that accrues over time. Fears about phoney agents are resurfacing as the first aircraft for the upcoming hajj season from India is scheduled to depart on May 21. This year, Saudi Arabia gave India a sizable hajj quota of 1,75 025, up from 79 237 the previous year.
The frauds associated with the hajj are “my biggest concern in all of my responsibilities,” said Kausar Jahan, the recently appointed chairperson of the Delhi State Haj Committee. Numerous persons claim to be hajj agents. However, in actuality, the journey never takes place. She claims that she receives fraud allegations frequently and passes them to the Ministry of Minority Affairs because she is powerless to take further action. It is not within our [the committee’s] purview, she continues. Inquiries about the number of instances recorded in 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023 received no response from the ministry. When a response is received, the story will be updated.
After being conned, Zahoor says he was forced to repay all of his family members more than Rs 70 lakh and was forced to sell their ancestral land. As a result of the scandal, Zahoor’s own small tour and travel company failed, and he is now forced to sell onions from hand-pushed carts in his hometown of Bara, Rajasthan.