BENGALURU: The Govindarajanagar police have arrested a man for cheating over 100 people with a fake Kumbh Mela tour package and looting over Rs 70 lakh. So far, 21 people have filed complaints against him. The accused, Raghavendra Rao (35), is a resident of VKW Layout and a native of Ballari. He had previously worked as a reporter with a regional news channel.
The police said that Rao created a tour package under the name Panchajanya Tours and Travels and advertised Kumbh Mela tours on social media, promising trips to Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Prayagraj.
To gain trust, he initially took a small group of people on a tour, uploaded their photos on social media, and shared their reviews. He allegedly collected Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per person.
However, people from the second and third batches later learnt that he had cancelled their flight tickets and cheated them. Later, they approached the police.