The UT Police have registered a criminal case against the owners and staff of an immigration firm operating from Sector 17, Chandigarh, for allegedly cheating at least 12 people of more than ₹14 lakh by falsely promising overseas work visas. The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNS) and the Immigration Act.
According to police officials, the accused firm lured aspirants with assurances of foreign employment but failed to deliver visas or travel arrangements after collecting money. One of the complainants, Sunny Khajuria, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, stated that he came across an advertisement on Facebook in February 2025 by a firm named M/S The Setup World Travel, which claimed to facilitate jobs and work visas abroad.
Khajuria said he visited the firm’s Sector 17 office on February 14, where he met Arun Thakur, who allegedly promised him a work visa for Azerbaijan. The accused reportedly demanded ₹1.5 lakh for processing the visa. Trusting the assurances, Khajuria submitted his passport and identification documents.
He further alleged that he paid ₹53,500 in cash to the firm’s manager, Kuldeep Vohra, while the remaining amount was transferred online in multiple installments. Despite clearing the full payment, Khajuria neither received the promised visa nor an air ticket. Repeated follow-ups with the firm allegedly yielded no response.
During the course of his inquiry, Khajuria discovered that several other individuals had been similarly cheated by the same firm. Multiple complaints were subsequently submitted at the SSP public window, prompting the police to take action.
Following a preliminary verification of the complaints, the Sector 17 police registered an FIR and launched an investigation into the matter. Officials said they are examining financial transactions, advertisements, and documents linked to the firm to ascertain the full scale of the alleged fraud. Police have not ruled out the possibility of more victims coming forward as the investigation progresses.
