Travel agent booked for Rs 8.40 lakh fraud

The Jandiala police have booked a fake travel agent for allegedly duping two local residents on the pretext of sending their sons to Ukraine. The suspect, identified as Arshpreet Singh, a resident of New Sukhdev Nagar, Dhamia road, Ludhiana, had also assured them to provide the Schengen country visa.

The incident came to light when the Jandiala police registered an FIR against the suspect after two years of submitting the complaint. The Jandiala Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) carried out investigations in this connection.

The complainant, Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Dharad village, told the police that the suspect took a total of Rs 8.40 lakh from him and his brother for sending their sons abroad. He told to the police that Arshpreet Singh had his office at Samrala Chowk in Ludhiana. He said they came in contact with the suspect in September 2021. He said the suspect took Rs 3.2 lakh for sending his son Rahuljit Singh and his nephew Amandeep Singh to Ukraine and also promised to provide temporary residence card (TRC) for a Schengen country from there (Ukraine).

He said the suspect sent both Rahuljit and Amandeep to Ukraine, but even after lapse of four months, he did not arrange the TRC for Schengen country. He said the suspect again demanded Rs 1 lakh each for arranging the TRC. However, he did not fulfil his promise and due to over stay, both Rahuljit Singh and Amandeep Singh returned to India.

Sukhwinder said the suspect then gave in written to bear all the expenses for sending them again to Ukraine within 15 days and further arrange the TRC for Schengen country. Failed to do this, the suspect again promised to send the duo to France or Canada. The complainant alleged that the suspect neither sent his son nor nephew abroad nor returned their money.

The Jandiala police booked Arshpreet Singh under Sections 370 (human trafficking) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13 of Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act. The suspect is yet to be arrested by the police.