Canada Visa Fraud In Punjab: Travel Agent Files Fake Investment Proof On Behalf Of Clients, Booked For Cheating.
News Source:- The Moga administration on Monday sealed the office of a travel agent on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner after it was found that the owner allegedly duped at least 200 applicants (mostly students) by issuing them fake Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) for visa to Canada. Moga police has also registered an FIR against Jasvir Singh, owner of travel agency English Tree, for allegedly cheating the applicants. The DC has cancelled the licence of the company.
An immigration expert said that students moving to Canada have to apply for GICs online by registering with approved Canadian banks to open their bank accounts. They have to transfer 10,230 Canadian dollars (approx Rs 5.25 lakh), which includes bank and transfer fee. The rest 10,000 Canadian dollars is given to students in installments once they reach Canada. “GICs are a proof that one is capable of funding their expenses in Canada and is required to get students visas in particular,” he said.
Police said that in this case the accused promised applicants to apply for GICs on their behalf, but actually did not apply and issued fake certificates. Canadian authorities got them verified from banks and they were found to be fake. “The total deal was for Rs 13 lakh and he had yet not taken Rs 5 lakh each for GICs but then he probably did not transfer the money at all and got fake certificates made but modus operandi is under probe,” said a police source.
After the certificates were found to be fake by the Canadian High Commission, all applications were cancelled and the applicants debarred for five years, which means they cannot apply for Canadian immigration for next five years.
Moga DC Sandeep Hans said that as per complaint received from the applicants, the accused had taken Rs 30,000 from each of them and issued GICs which were found to be fake. “Each applicant had to be pay him Rs 13 lakh more after getting the visa but as GICs were found fake, they did not pay him Rs 13 lakh. He allegedly created email IDs of all applicants and submitted GICs from those IDs,” he said.
English Tree office has been sealed under Section 6 of Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act, 2012. The fraud is estimated at Rs 60 lakh in total but applicants are more worried because they have been banned by the Commission for five years.
Harinderpal Singh, SP (investigation), Moga, said that FIR has been registered on complaint of three applicants but as per inputs received, at least 200 applicants (mostly students) have been affected and probe is on. “They had given Rs 30,000 each to the agent till now and were yet to give pending Rs 13 lakh,” said the SP.
FIR has been registered at Moga City-1 police station under Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of IPC against Jasvir Singh on the complaint of three applicants — Kulwant Singh of Ransih Khurd, Sukhwinder Singh of Dhurkot Kalan, Nirmal Kaur of Buggipura. Read More.