11 face action for running unregistered travel agencies

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 15

In a major crackdown on those running travel agencies illegally, the police have made 11 arrests in the city. The police have tightened the noose around the errants since External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj urged Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to take action against such travel agents.

Earlier, the Amritsar rural police had registered over a dozen cases against swindlers duping people on the pretext of getting them settled abroad. They were running travel agencies in posh Ranjit Avenue area without registration.

Those booked have been identified as Vijay Gupta of Basant Avenue, Saifi of Islamabad who owns See Future of Immigration Group, Sirmaan Singh of Ranjit Avenue and owner of Horizons Abroad, Gagandeep Singh of East Mohan Nagar who runs Global Migration Consultancy, and Tajinder Singh of New Azaad Nagar, Sultanwind road, who owns M/s Fly Way Studies Pvt Ltd.

Similarly, Amandep Singh Bedi of Nariangarh, Harnek Singh of Ranjit Vihar and owner of Fast Track Immigration, Ashu Arora of Imperial City, Daljit Singh Guru of Ramdass Colony, Nariangarh, and Raj Partap Singh Bajwa of D Block Ranjit Avenue have been booked under Section 13 of the Punjab Human Smuggling Act.

Meanwhile, in another case, the police have booked Love Sharma, owner of Green ILETS, Lawrence Road, and resident of Majitha road, under the same offence.

It is the first major action since the Punjab Human Smuggling Act 2012 came into force. The district administration has asked all the travel agencies in Amritsar to get themselves registered. The Act was enacted to nail the illegal travel agents who dupe people. A few agencies have got the requisite licence.

According to police authorities, the anti-human trafficking unit conducted a probe and visited many travel agencies having their offices in the posh Ranjit Avenue. Those booked could not produce any licence. They haven’t even applied for the same, the police officials said. A report was submitted to senior police officials who recommended registration of a case against them.

Further investigation has been marked to Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) in this regard. The police authorities said the accused would be arrested during future course of investigation.