Court orders Askoi Group to pay MVR 155,700 to family defrauded over Umrah pilgrimage

The Civil Court has ordered Askoi Group to pay MVR 155,700 to a family after the company failed to fulfill its promise to take them on an Umrah pilgrimage.

The Civil Court delivered the ruling on Wednesday. According to the judgment, the case was filed against Askoi Travel Services Private Limited after it defrauded six individuals who had paid for Umrah pilgrimage packages, seeking the recovery of their payments and compensation for damages incurred.

The plaintiffs have filed a claim to recover MVR 155,700 paid for Umrah pilgrimage travel, along with MVR 42,000 in legal expenses incurred in bringing the case to court.

The Civil Court has ordered the refund of MVR 155,250 paid for Umrah pilgrimage services that were never provided. Askoi company and its head, Abdulla Rasheed of Ma. Fineshade, have agreed to settle the payment within seven days.

However, the Civil Court ruled that the legal costs claimed could not be recovered, stating that the submitted documentation failed to prove the defendant's liability for such expenses.

Askoi Group has defrauded 28 individuals after collecting payments under the pretext of arranging Umrah pilgrimages. In response to the matter, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs has revoked the group's operating license and initiated regulatory action against the company.

This is not the first time the company has been ordered to pay compensation in such cases. In February this year, the Civil Court ordered Askoi Group to pay MVR 185,250 to a family that was defrauded after the company failed to facilitate their promised Umrah pilgrimage.