PURI: Sea Beach police on Saturday arrested three employees of a travel agency for cheating tourists.
Police said one J Kamalesh Patel from Gujarat, staying in a hotel in Chakratirth locality along with his family, had booked a vehicle from a travel agency to visit Satapara.
The driver of the vehicle took them to Raipur Ghat from where they went for boating. Patel paid `6,500 as rent before boarding the vessel. While returning to the town, the vehicle was intercepted at the downtown area by Mangalaghat police.
Policemen asked Patel and his family to narrate their experience. On learning that they were charged `6,500 against the normal price of `1,800 for the boat ride, police arrested the driver of the vehicle Abdul Jaffer of Panaspada village and Bidyadhar Jena and Vichitra Jena of Raipur village. The vehicle was also seized. Police officials said tourists are often cheated by travel agencies in nexus with boat owners at Satapara and Chilika Lake.