Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): A businessman from Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior was duped of ₹3.4 lakh by a travel agency he consulted for a family trip to Japan on Sunday. The accused approached police station after all his bookings-- flight, hotel and more, got cancelled at the last minute despite the payment.

The victim, Shubham Madan, who owns a shoe company, had booked a package to Japan, including flights, hotels, and transportation, through RS Tour and Travel Agency for a trip scheduled in late November. He had planned to travel with his wife, sister, and brother-in-law.

According to information, Madan made payments to the agency in cash and online transactions totaling ₹3.4 lakh.

However, just a week ago, he discovered that all the bookings, including flights and hotels, had been canceled. When he contacted the travel agency, its operator, Sunil Solanki alias Sandy, claimed it was a mistake and kept making excuses and misleading the victim with false promises. Frustrated, the businessman approached Jhansi Road police station and filed a complaint.

According to the complaint, the payments were made in multiple installments: ₹49,000 initially, followed by ₹2.39 lakh and ₹10,000 in cash.

Additionally, his brother-in-law, Prateek Bhatia, made two online payments of ₹49,000 each.

The police have registered a case of fraud against Sunil, who has since gone into hiding. Investigators found that he had vacated his flat and disappeared. Despite several search operations, he has not been located yet. Authorities suspect he might still be hiding somewhere in the city.