In search of greener pastures, residents duped of Rs 28 lakh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 8

The police have booked three persons for allegedly duping Rs28 lakh from two persons, including a girl, on the pretext of sending them abroad.

The accused have been identified as Raj Kumar Tandon, his wife Aarti Tandon of Dashmesh Nagar, Ludhiana, and Naveen Kumar of Palam Vihar, New Delhi. However, all accused have been absconding and the police have been searching for them.

The case was registered at Division Number 6 police station on the complaint of Seema Rani and Gurtej Singh, both residents of Deena Sahib village, near Nihal Singh Wala.

In their complaint to the police, Seema Rani and Gurtej Singh said they wanted to move abroad and while looking for ways to go abroad, they came in contact of the accused through a common friend.

“The accused told us that they can send us to Canada on a permanent basis, but demanded Rs28 lakh in lieu of it. We paid Rs28 lakh to them in three instalments and also our passports and the accused promised that they would send us to Canada soon. After some time, the accused returned our passports having the visa stamp of Canada along with two air tickets. But when we enquired, we found that the stamp was fake,” Gurtej Singh said.

Following this, both of them lodged a complaint against the accused. Investigation Officer Sub Inspector Varinder Kumar said the police have registered a case under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC and 13 (1) of the Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, Punjab, 2012, against the accused.

“We carried out raids at the residences of the accused to arrest them, but they are at large. Efforts are under way to trace them and the accused will be arrested soon,” the SI said.