Immigration agents booked for duping city residents of over Rs 37 lakh

Ludhiana: An immigration agent from Sahnewal area has been accused of duping a woman of over Rs 20 lakh on the pretext of sending her abroad. In a complaint submitted to senior police officials, Tania Vij, a resident of Sahnewal, alleged that she came in contact with immigration agent Narendra Singh, who runs an agency offering UK work visas. She claimed that the accused assured her that her UK visa would be arranged in a short time.According to the complaint, the accused took Rs 20 lakh cash and four cheques of Rs 2.5 lakh each from her. However, despite a long wait, neither was the visa processed nor was any clear information provided to her. The complainant further alleged that when she demanded her money back, the accused started threatening her. She then approached the police and lodged a complaint.Police have registered a case against agent Narendra Singh and his companies under relevant sections of BNS and the Immigration Act. In a similar case, Harveer Singh, a resident of Mundian Kalan, alleged that Vivek Shekhawat and his wife Ritu, associated with a company in Zirakpur, lured his entire family on the promise of sending them to Australia.The accused allegedly took Rs 17 lakh from the family, but neither arranged visas nor returned the money. Police have registered a case against the couple.