Six individuals who had booked their Umrah pilgrimage through Askoi Hajj Group were informed at the last minute that they would not be able to go, despite having fully paid for their trip.
Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has announced that strict action will be taken against the group that collected large sums of money for Umrah but failed to take the pilgrims on the journey.
Six individuals who had booked their Umrah pilgrimage through Askoi Hajj Group were informed at the last minute that they would not be able to go, despite having fully paid for their trip.
The affected family, who had planned to travel with their parents and other relatives, told Mihaaru News that they had been making payments for their pilgrimage which was set to from the last 15 days of Ramadan up to the six days of Shawwal.
The group had paid a total of MVR 252,000, at a rate of MVR 42,000 per person.
However, just 10 days before departure, they were notified that their trip had been canceled due to some issues. By that time, they had already arranged to travel to Male' in preparation for their pilgrimage.
Minister Shaheem stated that authorities would take strict action against those responsible. It remains unclear how many others have been affected, as the leaders of the Askoi Hajj Group are currently in Mecca.
Askoi Hajj Group’s Managing Director, Abdulla Rasheed, reportedly sent a message acknowledging the issue, citing an "incident" that disrupted the trip. He stated that all efforts to resolve the problem had failed and apologized for the inconvenience. He further mentioned that refunds may not be possible before April 15.
One affected pilgrim, Sifnee, said they had requested a refund in hopes of booking an alternative Umrah trip this Ramadan through another group. However, with no immediate reimbursement in sight, the family has lodged complaints with both the police and the Islamic Ministry.
Sign In