Man arrested for Rs 22 lakh fraud on pretext of Canada work permit

Kaithal police have arrested a man for allegedly duping a couple of Rs 22 lakh on the pretext of arranging a Canadian work permit for them.

The accused has been identified as Gurjant Singh, a resident of Bullapur village of Malerkotla district in Punjab, said a spokesperson of Kaithal police.

Kuldeep Singh of Ramthali village alleged that in July 2022, Gurjant and his wife Gurmeet Kaur visited his house, claiming they could secure a two-year Canadian work permit for them and demanded Rs 45 lakh.

Trusting them, Kuldeep and his wife Sarvjit Kaur handed over their passports, documents and photographs. Subsequently, the accused took Rs 21.99 lakh in multiple instalments through bank transfers and cash, assuring them that the work permit would arrive in six months, he added.

The victim said whenever asked for updates, the accused would say that the process was under way. Later, he falsely claimed to have arranged visas for New Zealand and even shared fabricated visa copies.

In December 2024, the accused claimed that he had arranged a visa for Canada and sent a copy to the victim on WhatsApp in January this year, which was also fabricated.

When the victims demanded a refund, the accused allegedly threatened them with dire consequences, the police spokesperson said.

A case was registered at Guhla police station and the accused arrested. He was produced in the court on Saturday. The police sent him to three-day police remand.