In Brief: Man duped of Rs 12.4 lakh

Tarn Taran: Gursahib Singh, a resident of Amishah village, has alleged being defrauded of Rs 12.40 lakh by a travel agent, Ranjit Singh, a resident of Danipur village in Samana subdivision, Patiala. The agent had promised to send Gursahib’s son, Jobanpreet Singh, to the United States but failed to fulfil the assurance. According to Gursahib Singh’s complaint to the district police, the travel agent had initially demanded Rs 40 lakh two years ago, taking Rs 12.40 lakh as an advance payment. After receiving the money, Ranjit Singh stopped responding to Gursahib’s calls. Later, he called Jobanpreet to Delhi, where the young man was made to wait for five months with repeated assurances of a departure to America. However, Jobanpreet returned home after the prolonged delay. Following Gursahib’s complaint, an investigation led by the DSP (Homicide and Forensics) found the travel agent guilty. Based on the inquiry report, Bhikhiwind police registered a case against Ranjit Singh under Section 420 of the IPC and the Punjab Travel Professionals (Regulation) Act, 2014. The accused remains absconding, and the Bhikhiwind police have initiated further proceedings to apprehend him.