Police in the Kapurthala district of Punjab have cracked down on fraudulent travel agents, registering separate cases of cheating in Kapurthala and Phagwara. The complaints involve individuals who allegedly posed as agents, took large sums of money from victims with promises of securing them visas and travel arrangements for countries like Canada and Italy, and then vanished.
Kapurthala Case: The Dubious Canada Consultant
In the first incident, the Kapurthala city police have registered a case based on a complaint filed by Jaswinder Singh, a resident of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar. According to the First Information Report (FIR), Jaswinder Singh accused a man named Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, son of Kashmir Singh, of cheating him of a significant amount of money.
The complainant stated that Gurpreet Singh presented himself as a travel consultant who could facilitate the process of sending people to Canada. Trusting these assurances, Jaswinder Singh paid him the money for the purported services. However, after receiving the payment, Gurpreet Singh became unreachable, failing to deliver on any of the promises made. The police have booked the accused under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and have initiated an investigation to trace and apprehend him.
Phagwara Case: The Elusive Italy Visa Agent
In a similar and concurrent fraud in the neighboring area, the Phagwara police have registered a cheating case following a complaint by Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Maqsoodan village. The target of this complaint is Gurmeet Singh, son of Kashmir Singh, a resident of Khera Dona village.
Kulwinder Singh alleged that Gurmeet Singh convinced him that he could arrange for his visa and travel to Italy. Lured by the prospect of moving abroad, Kulwinder Singh handed over a substantial sum to the accused. Like in the Kapurthala case, after the money changed hands, Gurmeet Singh cut off all contact, leaving the victim in the lurch. The Phagwara police have also invoked IPC Section 420 against Gurmeet Singh and are conducting searches to locate him.
A Pattern of Deception and Police Action
These two cases, registered on the same day, highlight a troubling pattern of fraud in the region where the allure of immigration is exploited by unscrupulous individuals. The modus operandi appears consistent:
- The accused pose as knowledgeable travel or immigration agents.
- They specifically target individuals aspiring to move to popular destination countries like Canada and Italy.
- They extract large advance payments with false promises of securing visas and travel arrangements.
- Once the payment is secured, they disappear, making themselves inaccessible to the victims.
The prompt registration of FIRs by the Kapurthala and Phagwara police indicates a proactive stance against such travel agent fraud. Investigations are currently active in both jurisdictions. The police are urging the public to exercise extreme caution and conduct thorough background checks before engaging with any individual or agency offering immigration services.
Authorities have advised potential immigrants to only deal with registered and government-recognized consultancies and to verify credentials independently before parting with any money. These incidents serve as a stark reminder of the risks associated with unauthorized immigration channels and the importance of due diligence.
