KARACHI:Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed director general of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to make immediate arrest of absconding owners of Al-Hashmi travel agency involved in Hajj fraud case.

The high heard a multi-million rupees Hajj fraud case against agency operators who had committed money fraud with 271 people in the pretext Hajj.

The petitioner stated that the travel agents did not send them despite receiving millions of rupees in term of Hajj cost.

FIA officials told the court that the travel agents, Abbas Naqvi and Ghulam Shabbir, were absconding while other two nominated persons, Rehan and Naeem, had already been arrested.

The court directed the agency to arrest absconding offenders as soon as possible and produce them before it. The FIA further stated that two nominated persons, including Rehan and Naeem, were currently under custody while Jehangir, Furqan and Saad have been released on bail.

Counsel of the petitioners, Munsif Jan, submitted that accused received millions from the people but they were not sent for performing Hajj. Counsel of Al-Hashmi travel agency told the SHC judge that a case against the accused person was also under proceeding in judicial magistrate court. The counsel also submitted Rs2.1 million pay order in the SHC.

The court directed authorities to instantly apprehend owners of the travel agency besides freezing their bank accounts and national identity cards. The court also directed the FIA to produce the absconding persons in the court on March 21.The hearing was adjourned till 21 March.