Forum slaps Rs 1.8L fine on immigration firm in 3 cases

CHANDIGARH: Days after city-based De Montreal Recruitment Abroad (P) Limited was penalised for showing ‘false dreams’ to a man who approached it to obtain a Canada work permit, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the firm to pay Rs 60,000 each to complainants in three similar cases.

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 12

Days after city-based De Montreal Recruitment Abroad (P) Limited was penalised for showing ‘false dreams’ to a man who approached it to obtain a Canada work permit, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the firm to pay Rs 60,000 each to complainants in three similar cases.

The three complainants are Barinder Singh of Ropar, Harsimran Singh of Ludhiana and Navdeep Singh of Yamunanagar.

Barinder had paid Rs 12.12 lakh for a work visa of Australia. He had also given his original passport and documents. However, even after many visits, he was not given the visa. He even got an FIR registered against the firm but did not get his money back.

Harsimran had approached the firm for a work permit of Canada. He had also paid Rs 12 lakh and deposited his original passport. As the matter lingered on, Harsimran got an FIR registered and was not given a refund even after several pleadings.

Navdeep wanted a work visa of New Zealand and had paid Rs 13.50 lakh to the firm for the purpose. He too got an FIR registered against the firm as it had taken its original passport. No progress was made in his case and his money was not returned.

The firm did not appear before the forum to contest the allegations and was proceeded ex parte.

The forum, in the three judgments, made some common observations. One of the order reads, “The complaint is genuine as the complainant has been made to run from pillar to post for no fault of his.” It added that the harassment suffered by the complainant is also writ large.

“The opposite party has certainly indulged in an unfair trade practice. The opposite party did not even bother to redress the grievance of the complainant even as the latter approached it time and again,” reads the order.

The firm was thus told to refund the amount that had been paid to it in all three cases. Further, it was directed to pay a fine of Rs 60,000 to each complainant for harassment, unfair trade practice and as litigation costs.