Dreams dashed: 2 families lose Rs 37 lakh to immigration fraud

In a revelation that indicates the rising menace of fraudulent immigration practices in Punjab, two major visa scams have come to light involving a combined financial loss of over ₹37 lakh. Victims from Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts were allegedly duped by unscrupulous agents who exploited their aspirations of securing better futures abroad for their children.

In the first case, Sohan Lal, a resident of Bhallowal village near Noormahal, lodged a complaint against two individuals hailing from Pandori village in Hoshiarpur and operating from Mohali. The duo, allegedly operated under the name Providers Overseas Consultants, promised to arrange a UK work visa for Lal’s son Mulk Raj.

According to Lal’s statement, the accused took ₹26.88 lakh under the pretext of facilitating visa processing and travel arrangements. Despite receiving the payment, the accused failed to deliver any valid documents and soon became untraceable. Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case under Sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code, alongside relevant provisions of the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act. The authorities have launched investigation to trace the culprits and recover the embezzled amount.

In a similar incident, a woman from Mudowal village in Kapurthala district was reportedly fleeced of ₹10.75 lakh. Kulvinder Kaur, mother of Simranjit Singh, filed a complaint stating that Harpinder Singh and Kulvinder Kaur, residents of Bal Mishra Mohalla near the Banga bus stand in Nawanshahr, misled her with false promises of securing a UK visa for her son. The complaint, originally submitted on May 13, 2024, led to the registration of an FIR following an inquiry conducted by Sub-Inspector Bhupinder Singh.

As with the Phagwara case, the accused in Kapurthala neither arranged the promised travel documents, nor returned the funds, prompting the police to register charges under Sections 420 and 406 of the IPC. The matter remains under investigation.

“These are serious cases of financial and emotional exploitation,” said DSP, Phagwara, Bharat Bhushan. “Families invest their life savings in hopes of a better future for their children", he said.