A distressing case of alleged fraud has come to light in Ahmedabad, where a farmer and his extended family were duped by a local tour operator who promised a Goa holiday package but left them stranded with unpaid bills and cancelled return tickets.

According to the complaint filed at the Gujarat University Police Station by Nirav Mishbhai Patel, a resident of Naroda, accused Dream Peer Destination Holidays and its proprietors Jaymin Bhuwa and Darshana Bhuwa of criminal conspiracy and cheating. The complainant alleged that the duo collected ₹4.54 lakh from him and 21 other family members in 2024 for a Diwali vacation package to Goa but failed to honour their commitments.

As per police, Patel was lured by the company’s advertisement on Social Media, which offered an attractive package covering travel, accommodation, sightseeing, and meals. Convinced by the offer, the family paid the full amount in instalments to the company’s account. The payments included ₹50,000 initially, followed by ₹1.70 lakh, and finally ₹3.39 lakh — totalling ₹4.54 lakh.

On October 30, 2024, the family flew to Goa via an Indigo flight arranged by the company and checked into the Old Bender Resort as per the package. However, their holiday took a dramatic turn the very next day when the resort manager informed them that DYD Holidays (another name the company used) had not cleared any payments except a token amount. The resort demanded immediate payment of ₹65,000 or threatened eviction.

Caught off-guard,  Patel and his family contacted Darshana Bhuwa, who promised to resolve the issue. She made a partial payment allowing them to stay until 3 November 2024. However, the final hotel bill of ₹1.33 lakh remained unpaid, and to make matters worse, their return flight tickets were abruptly cancelled by the company without prior notice.

With no other option,  Patel arranged fresh flight tickets for all 21 family members at his own expense. Upon returning to Ahmedabad,  Patel confronted the company owners, who initially issued cheques totalling ₹2.21 lakh as reimbursement but the cheques bounced. Despite repeated attempts, neither Jaymin Bhuwa nor Darshana Bhuwa returned the money. 

The Gujarat University police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy and have started an investigation into the matter.