Section 275. Refund of passage money and deposits

275. Refund of passage money and deposits .―(1) Every pilgrim prevented from embarking under section 271, or removed from the ship under section 272, or otherwise prevented from proceeding shall be entitled to the refund of any passage money which he may have paid, and of any deposit which he may have made under section 273. (2) Any pilgrim who, within one year of his sailing from India, satisfies the Indian consular officer at Jeddah that he intends to return to India by a route other than the route by which he came from India, shall be entitled to a refund of any deposit made by him under section 273, or, if he is in possession of a return ticket, to a refund of half the passage money paid by him. (3) Where any pilgrim dies in the Hedjaz or on the voyage thereto, any person nominated by him in this behalf in writing in the prescribed manner, or, if no person has been so nominated, the legal representative of the pilgrim, shall be entitled to a refund of any deposit made by the pilgrim under section 273, or, if the pilgrim was in possession of a return ticket, to a refund of half the passage money paid by him. (4) Where any pilgrim fails to return to India from the Hedjaz within one year of his sailing from India, or returns to India by a route other than the route by which he came from India, he or any person nominated by him in this behalf in writing in the prescribed manner shall be entitled to a refund of any deposit made by such pilgrim under section 273, or, if such pilgrim was in possession of a return ticket, to a refund of half the passage money paid by such pilgrim, except where such deposit or passage money has already been refunded under this section. (5) Refunds under this section of deposits shall be subject to such conditions and of passage money to such deductions and conditions as may be prescribed. 276. Disposal of unclaimed passage money and deposit. ―If any pilgrim,— (a) who is entitled to a refund of passage money under sub-section (1) of section 275 does not claim such refund within the prescribed period, or (b) who has purchased a return ticket, does not on the basis of such ticket obtain a return passage from the Hedjaz within the prescribed period and the value of the return half of such ticket has not been refunded under section 275, or (c) who is entitled under section 275 to a refund of any deposit made under section 273 does not claim such refund within the prescribed period, such passage money or value or deposit shall, subject to the exercise of the rights conferred by sub-section (4) of section 275, be made over to such authority administering any fund maintained for the assistance of pilgrims as the Central Government may, by general or special order, designate in this behalf.