6,000 immigration firms making false claims: Police

Aftermath of Healthyway Fraud

Chandigarh, August 24
Exploiting the loopholes in the system and in the absence of any stringent checks from the government, over 6000 immigration firms are active in Punjab, Chandigarh and Panchkula. A majority of these firms are exploiting the loopholes and duping their clients of huge amounts of money on false promises of easy migration abroad.

Disclosing this today, the UT SSP Naunihal Singh said investigations into the cheating case registered against the owners of Healthyway Immigration had revealed that such firms had mushroomed in every nook and corner of the region.

“We have gathered this figure on the basis of information received from foreign embassies, complaints received by the police of other states as well as our own inputs. One in every two documents prepared by the agents are forged and their tall claims are falsified. In all, over 50 per cent of the documentation process done by the firms is forged,” he said.

The SSP said it was not mandatory for the firms processing a student visa to procure a licence. “The travel agents prepare bank documents to show financial capabilities of applicants by depositing money in their accounts, only to take out the amount at later stage,” he said, adding that a large number of visa applications were thus rejected. “Most embassies do not verify loan document and whether the bank is authorsed to sanction education loan. The firms do not require a licence, which is another reason for their mushrooming,” added the SSP.

Healthyway fraud estimated at Rs 5 cr

With 30 franchisees across North India, liasoning with 133 colleges abroad, the estimated fraud by owners of Healthyway is estimated to be Rs 5.01 crore. The accused raked in lakhs from their clients and prepared forged documents, resulting which their visas were rejected. The UT police said it had received around 150 complaints against the firm following the registration of the case and recovered 262 fake loan documents from the premises of the company. “We are receiving at least 15 complaints daily ever since the registration of the case,” said the police.

Two more arrested

The police today arrested two financers of the company Rajat, a city resident and Anil Verma, a resident of Jalandhar for the fraud. DSP Anil Joshi said the two used to open fake accounts for their clients in banks and were part of the conspiracy. “From filling of the forms to opening of accounts, the agents knew everything and used to charge huge amounts,” said Joshi. Meanwhile, the police remand of prime accused Amit Kakkar, owner of Healthyway, was extended by another two days today.

Two more cheating cases against immigration firm 

Mohali, August 24
Two more cases have been registered by the police against an immigration firm on a charge of cheating.
According to the police, Davinder Kumar, a resident of Rajpura, had complained that he had allegedly given Rs 1 lakh to the owner of the company, Deepak Arora, for going abroad. He was neither sent abroad and nor was the money returned to him.
In another case Jaswinder Singh of Dhobar village in Ludhiana district had complained that he had given Rs 1.20 lakh to the owner of the company for sending him abroad. The needful was not done and even the amount was not returned to him.
The police has registered cases under Section 420 of the IPC and Section 24 of the Immigration Act in this regard.
Source:TNS