A 52-year-old man from Amritsar died by suicide after allegedly being defrauded of Rs 13 lakh by a travel agent who had promised to facilitate his daughter's overseas education. The police have registered a case of abetment of suicide against the agent.
Incident Details
The deceased, identified as Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Dial Bhadang village, allegedly consumed a poisonous substance on July 7. He was rushed to a private hospital in Amritsar, where he succumbed to the poison during treatment.
Based on a complaint lodged by his wife, Sarabjit Kaur, the police have registered a case under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (abetment of suicide) against Gurpreet Kaur, a travel agent who operates an office in Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar.
Financial Hardship and Mental Distress
According to the complainant, the family had paid Rs 13 lakh to the accused to facilitate the overseas education of their daughter, Rupinderjit Kaur. However, despite repeated visits to the agent's office, their daughter was not sent abroad, and the family was repeatedly assured that the process was underway.
Sarabjit Kaur further stated that the family had sold its agricultural land to raise the money. She alleged that the agent neither fulfilled the promised services nor returned the amount, leaving the family under severe financial hardship and mental distress.
Police Action
The police have initiated an investigation and are looking into the travel agent's operations. The case highlights the vulnerability of families seeking overseas education opportunities and the potential for fraud in the unregulated travel and education consultancy sector.
This incident has raised concerns about the lack of oversight in the industry, where agents often promise lucrative opportunities abroad but fail to deliver, leaving families financially and emotionally devastated.
