A travel agent was arrested by the Nurmahal police in Jalandhar district on charges of cheating a local resident of Rs 3.5 lakh. The accused, identified as Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Nurmahal, allegedly promised the victim a job abroad and took the money but neither provided the job nor returned the amount.
Details of the Fraud
According to the police, the complainant, Jaswinder Singh, had approached the accused in January this year. Gurpreet Singh claimed he could arrange a job in Canada and demanded Rs 3.5 lakh for the process. The victim paid the amount in cash, but the accused kept delaying the travel arrangements. When Jaswinder Singh demanded his money back, Gurpreet Singh started avoiding him and later stopped answering calls.
Police Action
Following a complaint, the Nurmahal police registered a case under sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused was arrested on Thursday from his residence. During the search, police recovered several documents, including fake visas and job offer letters, which were likely used to dupe other victims.
Station House Officer (SHO) of Nurmahal police station, Inspector Balwinder Singh, said that the accused has a history of similar frauds and more victims might come forward. He urged people to verify the credentials of travel agents before making any payments.
Modus Operandi
Investigations revealed that Gurpreet Singh used to target unemployed youth by promising them high-paying jobs in Canada, Australia, and the UK. He would charge between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per person and provide fake documents. The police are now investigating his network and possible accomplices.
The accused was produced before a local court and sent to police custody for further interrogation. The police have advised the public to report any suspicious travel agents to the nearest police station.
