Travel agency, clients duped of Rs 34 lakh; four UP residents booked

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 5

In a bizarre instance, a travel agency and its clients have been defrauded of Rs 34 lakh by swindlers on the pretext of providing working visas for Poland and Portugal. Ranjit Avenue police have booked four Uttar Pradesh residents on Saturday after a year-long probe in the case.

Police officials said the case has been handed over to Economic Offence wing for further action and investigation.

Those booked have been identified as Avinesh Singh and Swarnima Singh, residents of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, Malik Mohammad of Lucknow and Khush Kumar of Azamgarh in UP.

Complainant Pavneet Singh runs a travel agency in the D block of Ranjit Avenue locality in the city. In his statement to the police, he said in April last year, he got a message from on his mobile from the suspects who claimed that they provided work visas for Poland and Portugal and can contact their Indian agent Anuj in this connection.

Soon, the complainant received a WhatsApp call from Anuj. The latter asked for the data of his clients and copies of their passports. The complainant said he shared the details of some of his clients. The details of 32 clients were sent to the suspects, following which they asked to deposit Rs 34 lakh in a bank account for the visa fee.

When the complainant asked the suspects to provide the approval letters issued by the Poland government, they did not give satisfactory answers. The suspects did send job letters from Poland but they were found to be fake.

When the cat was out of the bag and the complainant and his clients demanded their money back, the suspects said that they had links with some Punjab-based gangsters and threatened of dire consequences if the victims approached the police.

The police said a case was registered following an investigation by the Anti Human Traffic unit and ACP Financial crime. Investigations revealed that the suspects had approached the victim with the fake names of Lucas, Winsky, Anuj and Raghunar, while their actual names were Avinesh, Swarnima, Malik Mohammad and Khush Kumar.

The police have registered a case under Sections 420, 120-B and 506 of the IPC against the four suspects. Now, the case has been handed over to EO wing and efforts are on to nab them.

‘Fake’ job letters led to suspicion

When the complainant asked the suspects to provide the approval letters issued by the Poland government, as promised by them, they failed to give satisfactory answers. The suspects later sent job letters from Poland but they were found to be fake. The cat was out of the bag and the complainant and his clients started demanding their money back.

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