Askoi Umrah Group faces another court-ordered repayment over cancelled pilgrimage

The Civil Court has ordered Askoi Umrah Group to pay MVR 155,700 to a group of people who were scammed after paying for Umrah packages that were never delivered.

The case was filed by six people who had paid the company for Umrah. They sued Askoi Group and its Managing Director, Abdulla Rasheed, seeking recovery of the MVR 155,700 they paid, along with court costs.

According to the judgment, the plaintiffs requested MVR 42,000 as court costs, but the court noted that there was no legal basis to award that amount.

During the trial, Askoi Group agreed to refund the money paid for the Umrah trip. The Civil Court then ordered the company to repay the amount within two years, which comes to roughly MVR 1,500 per month.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has previously suspended the permit issued to Askoi Travel Services Limited after the company failed to take pilgrims to Umrah despite collecting payments.