Visa Scam, Gujarat Based Agent Cheated Punjab Based Agent, Agent Booked in Ludhiana for Alleged ₹4 Crore UK Visa Scam Involving 25 Punjab Youths

The Ludhiana police have registered a case against a Gujarat-based travel consultant for allegedly cheating 25 youths from Punjab, mostly residents of Ludhiana, of nearly ₹4 crore by promising genuine UK work permit visas that later turned out to be fake.

The accused has been identified as Mihul Soni, director of Gandhinagar-based Current Consultant Private Limited. He has been booked under relevant sections pertaining to cheating, criminal breach of trust, along with provisions of the Immigration Act.

The case was registered at Division Number 5 police station following a complaint filed by Sukhchain Singh, a resident of Jaiton in Faridkot district, who also runs a travel consultancy business in Ludhiana.

According to police officials, Sukhchain Singh came in contact with Mihul Soni in June 2025 and entered into an agreement to arrange UK work permits for 25 clients. Most of these applicants were youths from Ludhiana who were aspiring to work abroad.

Police said the accused allegedly assured that he would provide genuine UK work permit visas, collected passports and other documents of the applicants, and received payments amounting to over ₹4 crore in instalments. Trusting these assurances, the complainant forwarded the documents and facilitated the payments on behalf of his clients.

Acting on the promises made by the accused, three youths were sent to the United Kingdom. However, during verification, the visas issued to them were found to be fake, raising suspicion about the entire operation.

Following the revelation, the remaining applicants confronted the complainant, who then approached the police after confirming the alleged fraud. A preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had allegedly misrepresented visa documents and failed to return the money.

Police officials said further investigation is underway to trace the accused, verify the financial trail, and determine whether more victims are involved. Authorities have also not ruled out the possibility of a larger network operating across states.

The police have urged aspiring migrants to thoroughly verify the credentials of travel agents and consultants, warning that offers of guaranteed foreign work permits are often a red flag for immigration fraud.