Rajkot: Diu police arrested the alleged mastermind of a holiday membership fraud operating under the name White Dolphin Holidays, a Gurgaon-based company accused of cheating 40 to 50 tourists of an estimated Rs 70 lakh to Rs 80 lakh through fake vacation packages and misleading sales pitches.Investigators are identifying additional victims, tracing the financial trail, recovering defrauded funds and tracking down other suspects linked to the racket.Aggressive Scratch-Card Modus OperandiAccording to investigators, White Dolphin Holidays (OPC) Pvt Ltd, registered in Gurgaon, ran promotional campaigns at tourist destinations. Company representatives approached tourists with scratch-card schemes and told them they had won prizes such as iPads or complimentary vacation packages.The tourists were then invited to promotional presentations at The Fort House in Diu. At these sessions, sales personnel allegedly persuaded them to buy long-term holiday memberships by claiming the company had tie-ups with luxury hotel chains in India and abroad.Investigators said the company initially promoted 25-year and 10-year membership plans. Those reluctant to buy were offered a five-year package costing about Rs 95,000 with a complimentary three-day holiday. Customers were pressured to make immediate payments through limited-period discounts. Police said the company failed to provide any services after receiving payments and stopped responding to customers.Multi-State Arrest and InvestigationThe alleged fraud came to light after complaints were lodged between Oct and Dec 2025 by victims including Vikas Singh, Ganga Sorout and others. According to the complaints, the victims collectively paid Rs 5.15 lakh through credit cards during promotional events at The Fort House in Diu. The company failed to deliver the services and cut off communication after receiving the money.An FIR was registered at Diu police station under Sections 318(4), 318(3), 318(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).“To evade law enforcement, the accused had been using a sim card registered under a fraudulent identity,” said police.A specialised police team arrested the accused, Ajay Mehla of Andheri West, Mumbai, and brought him to Diu for custodial interrogation.“During preliminary questioning, Mehla confessed to his involvement, admitting he managed the operations and hosted the promotional events at The Fort House,” police said in a statement.Broader Network Under ScrutinyInvestigators identified the involvement of several alleged co-conspirators who worked as holiday consultants, sales executives, booking coordinators, customer relationship staff and managers. Their roles and criminal liabilities are being examined.Mehla was arrested on Thursday and remains in police custody.Ramkrishna Saran, superintendent of police, Diu, said, “It’s our commitment to dismantle organized financial rackets. We urge citizens to thoroughly verify the credentials of holiday membership firms prior to making financial investment.”
