7 booked for immigration fraud

The city police have booked seven persons under the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act for allegedly duping residents on the pretext of sending them abroad.

The Ranjit Avenue police registered a case against three accused – Amarjit Singh and Manjit Singh, both of Sandhu Colony, Chheharta, and Harpal Singh, proprietor of Rapid Immigration Services, whose office is based at Ranjit Avenue. Harpal originally hails from Lehal village in Dhariwal, Gurdaspur.

Complainant Sunil Sharma alleged that the trio took Rs 14.80 lakh from him to send his son, Samarth Sharma, overseas. The case was registered following a probe by the Economic Offences Wing of the city police.

In another case, Harjinder Singh of Sardar Nagar was booked on the complaint of Rajbir Kaur of Jaspal Avenue, who alleged that she was defrauded of Rs 1.5 lakh for a Canadian work permit.

Division B police registered a case against Manwinder Singh of New Kot Atma Ram Colony on the complaint of Mukesh Kumar of East Mohan Nagar, who alleged that he was cheated of Rs 10 lakh.

Similarly, Bikramjit Singh of Gurnam Nagar lodged a complaint that Chanpreet Singh Kalra of Sultanwind Road duped him of Rs 8 lakh, while Avtar Singh of Sultanwind Chowk alleged that Davinder Singh of Ramgarh, Ludhiana, and Ria took Rs 9.32 lakh from him on a similar pretext.

Separate FIRs have been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act. None of the accused has been arrested so far.

Police officials said the FIRs followed preliminary inquiries and detailed investigations are under way.