Travel agents booked for duping farmer of Rs28L

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 16

A Kapurthala farmer was duped of Rs 28 lakh by illegal travel agents on the pretext of sending him to the US. The US visa authorities have even banned the victim for 20 years for possessing fake documents.

The victim has been identified as Jivan Singh, a resident of Lakhan Kalan, Kapurthala. He told the police that the travel agents, Gurcharan Singh Randhawa and Kulwant Singh, both residents of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, Kapurthala, had sent him to New York with fake visa documents. In return, they charged him Rs 28 lakh, though the duo had earlier demanded Rs 30 lakh.

An FIR under Sections 420 and 406, IPC, has been registered against the suspects at the Police Division 1, here.

Police Division 1 SHO Sukhbir Singh said the case dates back to 2016-17.

“Aspiring to settle in abroad, the victim got in touch with the suspects through his relatives. He had given Rs 6 lakh to the suspects in March 2016 as advance payment for completing the visa documents. Later, he gave them the remaining amount after selling his land. However, the agents failed to complete his documentation. In September 2017, the suspects sent him to Dubai and made him stay in a hotel for 15 days. Thereafter, they sent him on a flight to New York . However, after reaching New York, the authorities did not allow him to leave the airport. After checking his documents, he was banned from visiting the US for the 20 years and deported to India,” the SHO said.

The SHO said as the advance payment was made by the victim in the Shanti Vihar area, the case had been registered at the Police Division 1. Though he had filed complaint against the agents immediately after landing in India in 2017, an FIR in this regard was filed on Tuesday night. They had started a probe and the suspects would be arrested soon.