Bilaspur Holiday Package Scam: Firm Flees After Alleged 50 Lakh Fraud

Victims allege Clubriant Hospitality cheated dozens at Magneto Mall through fake gift vouchers and holiday package offers.

In a major fraud case reported from Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur, a travel firm operating out of a premium mall has allegedly decamped after duping scores of residents. The company, identified as Clubriant Hospitality Private Limited, reportedly lured victims with promises of free gifts and lucrative holiday packages before shutting down its operations overnight.

While initial police complaints account for over ₹8 lakh, victims gathered at the site claim the total swindled amount could range between ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore. The Civil Line police have registered an FIR against 16 individuals, including the company’s directors and staff.

Trapped by the ‘Lucky Draw’ bait

The fraud came to light when Amit Gupta, a local resident, approached the police. Gupta stated that he received a phone call on February 20 informing him that his name had been selected in a lucky draw. He was asked to collect his prize from Office No. 415, located on the fourth floor of Magneto Mall.

Upon reaching the office, Gupta was given a high-pressure sales pitch regarding "unmissable" holiday memberships. Enticed by the offers, he transferred ₹25,000 on February 27, followed by another ₹50,000 under the pretext of ticket booking and processing fees.

Office found locked as staff vanished

The suspicion grew when the promised travel details and vouchers failed to arrive via email. When Gupta tried contacting the representatives, their phones were switched off. On April 24, he visited the mall only to find the office locked.

Sources familiar with the matter said that nearly 20 other victims were already present at the mall entrance, realizing they had been duped in a similar fashion. The firm had promised seamless bookings but disappeared as soon as the collection targets were met.

Initial probe reveals multi-city network

Preliminary investigations suggest a well-organized racket. Apart from Amit Gupta, other victims include Sushant Kumar (₹76,000), Rohit Sharma (₹1.28 lakh), and Dr. Sharad Karnewar (₹1.10 lakh). Police officials noted that the scam followed a consistent pattern of targeting salaried professionals and credit card holders.

Further inquiries revealed that the gang did not limit its operations to Bilaspur. The firm allegedly operated similar desks at Magneto Mall in Raipur and Surya Mall in Bhilai, indicating a wider network across Chhattisgarh’s major urban hubs.

Police name 16 in FIR

Following the outcry, Civil Line police have booked the main operator, Nagesh Balasaheb Sakhre, and his associate Shrimant Ram Khande. The FIR also names 14 other employees, including Kiran Muni, Imran Ansari, Sahil Thakur, and Muskan Gupta, among others, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating.

Local authorities confirmed that teams are being formed to track the digital footprints of the transactions and locate the accused, who are believed to have fled the state.

Potential for higher fraud figures

"We are currently documenting the statements of those who have come forward," a senior officer involved in the probe said. "Given the duration the office was functional, we expect the number of victims to rise significantly."

Authorities have urged other citizens who may have invested in schemes by Clubriant Hospitality to report to the Civil Line police station. For now, the mall management is also being questioned regarding the lease agreements and credentials provided by the firm while renting the office space.

Durg Man Booked for Alleged Rape on Pretext of Marriage

Accused befriended victim on Instagram before repeatedly assaulting her under false promises in Durg and Ujjain

The Mohan Nagar Police have registered a case of rape against a local youth for allegedly exploiting a woman under the false pretext of marriage. The accused, identified as Saurabh Rajput, reportedly befriended the victim via Instagram and established physical relations multiple times before absconding when pressured to formalize the union.

The victim, a resident of Bhanupratappur, approached the authorities after the accused refused to fulfill his commitment. According to the complaint, the two had been in contact since 2025, during which the accused consistently reassured her of a future together to gain her trust.

Social media friendship turns sour

The ordeal began when the victim traveled to Durg on March 5, 2026, to meet Rajput. Sources indicated that the accused took her to his elder brother’s residence in Sikola Bhata. It was here that he allegedly forced himself upon her for the first time.

Despite the victim’s initial protests, Rajput silenced her by reiterating his intent to marry her. This incident set a pattern of exploitation that continued over the following months across different locations.

Assaults reported during Ujjain trip

In late March, the accused took the woman on a trip to Ujjain, ostensibly for sightseeing. However, police reports suggest that Rajput continued to sexually assault the victim throughout the duration of the trip under the same guise of an impending marriage.

Upon their return, the victim remained in Durg for several days. The accused allegedly kept her in close proximity, ensuring she did not return home immediately while maintaining the facade of a committed relationship.

Final incident at Sambalpur village

The situation escalated on April 11, 2026, when Rajput took the victim to his maternal grandmother’s house in Sambalpur village. He reportedly spent the night there with her, during which the assault was repeated.

The following day, the accused dropped the woman back at her native village. This marked the final physical encounter before the victim’s family intervened to discuss the marriage timelines with Rajput.

Accused flees after marriage pressure

When the victim’s family pressured Rajput to fix a date for the wedding, he initially attempted to delay the matter. He reportedly requested a two-year waiting period, citing personal reasons.

However, shortly after this discussion, the accused went into hiding and switched off his mobile phone. He later communicated his refusal to marry the woman, prompting the victim to seek legal recourse against the betrayal.

Police register formal FIR

Based on the woman’s detailed statement, the Mohan Nagar Police Station has officially booked Saurabh Rajput under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to rape and criminal intimidation.

"We have recorded the victim's statement and a medical examination has been conducted. Teams are currently working to track the location of the accused, who remains at large," a senior police official stated regarding the latest news today.

Rising concerns over digital safety

This case highlights a disturbing trend in trending news India regarding the misuse of social media platforms to lure and exploit unsuspecting individuals. Experts suggest that such incidents emphasize the need for heightened vigilance while interacting with strangers online.

As the investigation continues, the local administration is expected to provide further government updates on safety protocols. This public interest story serves as a grim reminder of the legal consequences of obtaining consent through "deceitful means" under current Indian law.

Lawrence Bishnoi gang associate Rajpal surrenders in Madhya Pradesh

High-profile criminal confesses to businessman firing incident; claims links to the 2022 Mohali Intelligence HQ rocket attack.

 In a significant development for inter-state crime investigations, Rajpal, a known associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, surrendered to the police in his native village of Ratnyakhedi on Thursday. The surrender follows sustained pressure from multiple law enforcement agencies regarding his alleged involvement in high-stakes criminal conspiracies across northern India.

During his surrender, Rajpal reportedly admitted to orchestrating a firing incident at the residence of a local businessman. While the identity of the target remains under investigation, the accused claimed the attack was a "punitive measure." This surrender marks a breakthrough for the Madhya Pradesh police, who have been monitoring the region for spillover activities of Punjab-based gangs.

Targeted firing in Nagda

Rajpal confessed that the shooting at the businessman’s house was premeditated. He alleged that the target was involved in the exploitation of local farmers and maintained "inappropriate intentions" toward young girls. According to Rajpal, his initial attempts to execute the plan through local associates had failed, leading him to seek professional assistance from another gang member identified as "Harry Boxer."

Mohali rocket attack link

The surrender has reignited interest in the 2022 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali. Rajpal was previously named as a key suspect in that case. Investigators believe he played a logistical role, specifically in providing a safe haven to the primary accused, Deepak Ranga, during the high-profile manhunt that followed the terror strike.

Allegations of police pressure

Before being taken into custody, Rajpal spoke briefly to the media, stating that his decision to surrender was prompted by the "harassment" of his family by various police departments. He claimed that the constant scrutiny from national agencies and state police forces had made his continued evasion impossible. He alleged that his family members were being targeted despite having no links to his criminal history.

Deep-seated gang networks

Rajpal’s criminal trajectory is closely tied to Yogesh Bhati, another individual previously interrogated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The duo is suspected of facilitating the movement of Lawrence Bishnoi’s shooters across state lines. The NIA had earlier raided several locations in Nagda and surrounding areas to dismantle the sleeper cells providing logistics to the Bishnoi-Brar syndicate.

Warning to rivals

In a defiant tone prior to his arrest, Rajpal issued a warning, suggesting that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang would continue to target those they deemed "wrongdoers." He made the unconventional claim that the gang’s actions were intended to "assist the administration" by cleansing society of corrupt elements, a narrative often pushed by gang associates to gain local sympathy.

Recent security crackdowns

Security agencies view this surrender as part of the larger India news update regarding the crackdown on organized crime. The latest news today suggests that the Nagda police had been coordinating with the Punjab and Haryana police to corner Rajpal. This public interest story highlights the expanding footprint of the Bishnoi gang into the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.

Judicial proceedings ahead

The Nagda police moved Rajpal to an undisclosed location for initial interrogation immediately after the surrender. He is expected to be produced before a local court on Friday afternoon. Officials have indicated that they will seek maximum remand to investigate his recent communications and uncover any planned operations of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in the state.

A professional burglary gang has been systematically targeting vacant homes across Bilaspur's Sarkanda and Mopka areas, and CCTV footage of their operation has revealed just how calculated and organised they are. Wearing masks, gloves, and carrying weapons, the gang broke into the locked home of an engineer who had been away in Bihar for eight days, made off with approximately Rs 4 lakh worth of gold and silver jewellery, and then — in a detail that underlines their experience — locked the door behind them on the way out so that no immediate suspicion would be raised. SSP Rajnesh Singh personally visited the crime scene and has ordered police to identify and arrest the accused on the basis of CCTV evidence without delay.

The Main Incident: Engineer's Home Targeted

The primary case involves Nitesh Ranjan, an engineer residing in Vivekanand Residency colony near Chilhati Mod in the Mopka area. Nitesh had locked his home and left for Aurangabad in Bihar eight days before the robbery. On March 15, colony residents noticed something was wrong and informed his brother Ghanshyam Kumar, who lives in the same colony. When Ghanshyam reached the house, he found the door had been cut open and the central lock broken. Nitesh, checking the CCTV footage remotely on his mobile phone from Bihar, confirmed that gold and silver jewellery worth approximately Rs 4 lakh had been stolen. A precise inventory of the total loss will only be possible once he returns home.

The CCTV footage is damning in its clarity. The gang members can be seen moving with practised efficiency — entering the property within minutes of breaking the lock, locating the valuables, and then, remarkably, locking the door again from outside before leaving. This last detail is the hallmark of an experienced, methodical gang that understands how to delay discovery and buy itself time.

A Pattern Across the Neighbourhood

This is far from an isolated incident. More than half a dozen homes in the Sarkanda and Mopka areas have been hit in a series of thefts, and investigators now believe the same gang is responsible for all of them. In the same Vivekanand Residency colony, resident Vinda Dhuri returned home on March 15 after her family had been away since March 3 to find the front door latch broken and silver anklets, rings, toe rings, and around Rs 5,000 in cash missing from her cupboard.

In another near-miss in Vivekanand Nagar Phase-2 in Mopka, a neighbour named Chandu Sahu called homeowner Omprakash Dhilhare late on the night of March 14 after hearing sounds of breaking and tearing from inside the locked house next door — the home of Dhilhare's brother-in-law Punnilal Tandon, which had been empty for a long time. When Dhilhare arrived, he saw a young man fleeing the house with a sack. The intruder escaped in the darkness, but inspection of the house revealed that around ten water taps had been stolen from the bathroom and kitchen — suggesting the gang takes anything it can carry.

In Bahtrai's Deendayal Awas Colony, the home of Umesh Kumar Patel was broken into, his cupboard forced open, and a mangalsutra weighing 23.6 grams, Rs 15,000 in cash, and other jewellery taken. Locks of two adjacent homes were also found broken.

Bikes Also Being Stolen Across the Area

The gang's activities, or those of associated criminals operating in the same zone, also appear to include motorcycle theft. Teacher Ashish Bandhe lost his Honda Shine from Arpa Vihar Colony. Vikas Joshi's Super Splendor vanished from behind Tulsi Palace. Mohan Kumar Verma's Pulsar was stolen from outside a wedding venue in Bahtrai. The frequency of these incidents in a concentrated area points to organised criminal activity rather than random opportunism.

Police Link to High Court Colony Robberies

Investigators suspect that this same gang was behind a series of thefts at the High Court residential complex in Chakrabhatha a few months ago. Similar incidents in the Civil Lines area reinforce this theory. Reports also indicate that the gang had struck in Rajnandgaon district just the day before the Bilaspur incidents, suggesting they are mobile, inter-district criminals who move between cities to avoid being pinned down by any single police jurisdiction.

SSP Takes Personal Charge

Taking cognisance of the mounting incidents, SSP Rajnesh Singh visited the crime scene himself alongside Sarkanda TI Pradeep Arya and SCCU in-charge Topsingh Navrang. He directed officers to use CCTV footage to identify the suspects and ensure their arrest at the earliest. Patrolling in the Sarkanda-Mopka area has been significantly increased, and several suspects have already been taken into custody for questioning.

For residents of these colonies, the message from this gang's operational style is deeply unsettling — they are not opportunists who stumble upon unlocked doors. They watch, they plan, they come equipped, and they clean up after themselves. Until they are caught, no locked and empty home in this part of Bilaspur can be considered safe.