12-28-2006, 01:01 AM
<b>Nothing sacred: Pilgrimage to Mecca is on sale</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->But a Cobrapost and IBN 7 investigation found that even this holy trip to Mecca can bought by paying bribes. Mukhtar, an employee of the Delhi Haj Committee, was willing to do just that.
Undercover reporters approached him as agents with a list of 50 people who were to be put on the Haj list. The prospect of money gets him talking.
Reporter: Delhi will have lottery system for sure?
Mukhtar: For sure. Your people will be selected. <b>If not, we'll use the MP quota. </b>
As a huge number of people apply before Haj committees, pilgrims are selected by a lottery system.<b> But Mukhtar was offered Rs 5,000 and agreed to manipulate the system.</b>
Reporter: Take it; count it.
Mukhtar: Itâs 5000.
Reporter: Arre, hold it (the cash) up for all to see
Mumtaz, another member of the Delhi Haj Committee, told the reporter that he could teach âtricks of the tradeâ.
<b>âJoin us in this racket. I can teach you everything; the rest is up to you,â he said.</b>
<b>Mumtaz sells Haj application forms, which the committee is supposed to provide free. The price tag is Rs 500 for one form.</b>
Reporter: How much for 15?
Mumtaz: Learn everything now, later don't ask 500 or 400...
Reporter: Ok
Mumtaz: Look there isn't any cure for fraudsters.
Mumtaz tells us the reporters about Fahim, another Haj committee member.
âFahim is eight years my senior. He is way ahead of me,â says Mumtaz.
Fahim is so sure he will never be caught that he puts his own thumbprints on the applications. âWho cares, put anyoneâs thumb impressions!â he says.
The undercover reporters are asked to to pay Rs 5,000 as an advance and offer a token amount. The Haj racketeers say the work will be done.
For Mukhtar, Mumtaz and Fahim even the Haj is an opportunity in earning money. On camera, they fudged quotas and created fake identities just to earn a bit of money.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is should be haram and those who went for haj after paying did haram?
What a shame!
Undercover reporters approached him as agents with a list of 50 people who were to be put on the Haj list. The prospect of money gets him talking.
Reporter: Delhi will have lottery system for sure?
Mukhtar: For sure. Your people will be selected. <b>If not, we'll use the MP quota. </b>
As a huge number of people apply before Haj committees, pilgrims are selected by a lottery system.<b> But Mukhtar was offered Rs 5,000 and agreed to manipulate the system.</b>
Reporter: Take it; count it.
Mukhtar: Itâs 5000.
Reporter: Arre, hold it (the cash) up for all to see
Mumtaz, another member of the Delhi Haj Committee, told the reporter that he could teach âtricks of the tradeâ.
<b>âJoin us in this racket. I can teach you everything; the rest is up to you,â he said.</b>
<b>Mumtaz sells Haj application forms, which the committee is supposed to provide free. The price tag is Rs 500 for one form.</b>
Reporter: How much for 15?
Mumtaz: Learn everything now, later don't ask 500 or 400...
Reporter: Ok
Mumtaz: Look there isn't any cure for fraudsters.
Mumtaz tells us the reporters about Fahim, another Haj committee member.
âFahim is eight years my senior. He is way ahead of me,â says Mumtaz.
Fahim is so sure he will never be caught that he puts his own thumbprints on the applications. âWho cares, put anyoneâs thumb impressions!â he says.
The undercover reporters are asked to to pay Rs 5,000 as an advance and offer a token amount. The Haj racketeers say the work will be done.
For Mukhtar, Mumtaz and Fahim even the Haj is an opportunity in earning money. On camera, they fudged quotas and created fake identities just to earn a bit of money.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is should be haram and those who went for haj after paying did haram?
What a shame!