The Civil Court of the Maldives has ordered Askoi Group and its Managing Director Abdulla Rasheed to refund MVR 155,700 to six individuals after failing to provide agreed Umrah pilgrimage services.
According to official court documents from Case 4446-CVC-2025, the legal proceedings brought by six affected pilgrims against the operator to recover their unpaid package fees accumulated up to August 2025. The court document highlights that regulatory authorities previously revoked the agency’s operating license after it accepted payments from clients without fulfilling their Umrah pilgrimage arrangements.
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The court filings show that the defendant admitted to the claim during proceedings and acknowledged that the MVR 155,700 remained outstanding. Rejecting the defence’s request for a longer payment schedule, Judge Abdulla Ihsan ordered the full sum to be repaid within seven days starting from 02 September 2026.
The plaintiffs also sought an additional recovery of MVR 42,000 intended to cover court-related expenses. However, after reviewing the submitted evidence, the court rejected that portion of the claim, ruling that there were no valid legal or Shariah grounds to compel the defendants to pay the extra amount.
The recent developments build on a long history of legal and regulatory action against Askoi Group following repeated failures to fulfill booked Umrah pilgrimages.
Records show that the Civil Court previously ordered Askoi Umrah Group to pay MVR 150,000 to a six-member family from G.Dh. Thinadhoo after failing to facilitate their pilgrimage despite receiving full payment. The family sued both the company and its Managing Director, Abdulla Rasheed, to recover the MVR 155,250 paid alongside legal costs and compensation. During court proceedings, Askoi agreed to a settlement, and the court instructed the company to complete the payment within seven days.
That ruling followed another Civil Court judgment that ordered Askoi Group to pay over MVR 185,000 to a family who brought separate legal action against them. That judgment comprised MVR 155,250 originally claimed in the lawsuit plus MVR 30,000 in court expenses. During that specific travel period, individual pilgrims had each paid MVR 25,500, totaling MVR 714,000 collected by the operator for the trip.
As per court documentations, Askoi Travel Services Private Limited had also previously been fined MVR 130,000 for similar violations.
