2 days Ago By Payal Dhawan
Ludhiana: Police have booked a group of seven persons for running a fake immigration documents racket. The accused had been providing educational and work experience certificates to people who wished to go to the US. They would give fake educational degrees, experience certificates and help applicants show bank balance in their accounts.
Three of the seven accused are from Ludhiana. An FIR has been lodged after a probe conducted by a special investigating team (SIT) formed on the orders of the Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav. The DGP had received a complaint from Eric C Molitors, overseas criminal investigator, regional security office, US Embassy in New Delhi.
A case has been filed against the accused, Amandeep Singh of Chhatt village in Zirakpur, his wife Poonam Rani, Ankur Kohar of Central Green on Pakhowal Road, Akshay Shama of Guru Gobind Singh Nagar, Barnala bypass in Bathinda, Kamaljot Kansal of Mohali, who has a consultancy in Ludhiana, Rohit Bhalla of Friends Colony, Salem Tabri and Kirti Sood of Barnala, under sections 318 (4) (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 61 (2) (punishment for criminal conspiracy) BNS and Immigration Act. In his complaint to the DGP, Molitors said that visa consultants, Red Leaf Immigration and Overseas Partner Education Consultants, were engaging in fraudulent activities . He said that the agents were suspected of submitting fraudulent information on US online visa applications.
The complainant also shared details of five cases of forged documents being found in applications moved through the two consultancies. All the five applicants, Simran Thakur of Himachal Pradesh, Lovely Kaur of Kot Dharmu in Mansa, Harwinder Kaur of Mallah village in Jagraon, Ramneet Kaur of Khoja Bet in Nawanshahr and Rahul Kumar of Haryana had produced forged documents. Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) - investigation Amandeep Singh Brar, who heads the three-member SIT, said, “The gang charged applicants who wished to go abroad for providing them fake work experience and educational certificates.
The accused would also help them show bank balance in their accounts so that the embassy would be convinced that the applicant had sufficient money to support a living and education abroad.” It was found that Simran Thakur had submitted a BSc degree with her file, claiming that she got the degree from Madhya Pradesh. During interview in the embassy, she admitted that she never pursued the degree and the accused had arranged it for Rs 2 lakh.
In Lovely Kaur’s case, Ludhiana-based Overseas Partner Education Consultant helped show bank balance and work experience certificate for Rs 18,000. The probe found that Harwinder’s diploma in computer application and bank balance of Rs 40 lakh was arranged by Overseas Partner Education Consultant for Rs 25,000. Ramneet Kaur’s diploma in business administration was arranged by Red Leaf immigration for Rs 50,000.
The firm also arranged a degree in business administration and work experience certificate for Rahul Kumar. The SIT official said that the accused, Kirti and Akshay, owned a small office and helped the main accused issue experience certificates. Accused Ankur owned a firm named Rudra Consultancy Service, which helped the accused show bank balance in people’s accounts.
The probe found that applicants were not given access to operate the bank accounts in which the accused deposited the money to show balance to the embassy..
