Travel agents booked for fraud

In yet another case of immigration fraud reported in Phagwara, the police have registered a case against fake travel agent for allegedly cheating local residents on the pretext of sending them abroad. The complaints involve a combined financial loss running into several lakhs.

In the complaint, a resident of Chewa village, under Phagwara Sadar police station, Kulwinder Ram alleged that local travel agent Balvinder Singh, a resident of Rayitinda village, duped him of Rs 4 lakh with the promise of arranging his travel to Greece.

According to the FIR, Balvinder allegedly took the money but failed to provide any visa or travel documents. After receiving the amount, he reportedly stopped responding to calls and messages from the victim.

Following an inquiry conducted by officials of the Phagwara police and the Immigration Bureau, a case was registered against the accused under Sections 406 and 420 of the IPC and Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professions Regulation Act, 2014. Police officials stated that the matter is under further investigation.