Couple from Punjab’s Patiala held in UP’s Mathura for operating illegal immigration racket

A Punjab-based couple accused of operating a ‘kabootarbaazi’ racket that duped people on the pretext of sending them abroad on forged documents was arrested from Vrindavan here, police said on Tuesday.

‘Kabootarbaazi’ is a north Indian coinage commonly associated with illegal immigration and visa fraud operations.

The duo was arrested during a raid conducted on Tuesday morning. After being produced before a local magistrate, they were taken to Malerkotla on transit remand by the Punjab

Police for further investigation, officials said.

The accused, identified as Saurabh Gupta and his wife Pragati Gupta, residents of Punjab’s Patiala, were wanted in connection with multiple cases registered in Malerkotla for allegedly duping people aspiring to move to Canada and pilfering large sums of money.

According to police, the couple allegedly charged between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 2.5 crore per person on the pretext of sending them abroad using forged documents.

DSP (Sadar) Peetam Pal Singh, quoting Malerkotla DSP Manavjeet Singh Sandhu, said several complaints were lodged against the couple after the alleged fraud came to light, prompting Punjab Police to launch a search operation around two months back.

Investigation led police to a multi-storey residential society in the Sunrakh area of Vrindavan, where the couple had been living in a flat in Hare Krishna Orchid Society. Police said they were residing there with their two children and maintaining a low profile.

“They were dressed in religious attire and presented themselves as spiritually inclined. Neighbours and society members had no idea about the allegations against them,” an officer said.

Police suspect the couple continued their alleged illegal immigration operations from the Vrindavan flat and amassed crores through fraud.