Visa fraud victims hit dead end to reclaim money

After Healthyway, it’s the turn of Jet Placement Services to face wrath of job seekers

Mohali, August 22
Unable to find a job in the country despite being an MBA from Punjab Technical University, Hardeep, a Patiala resident, took out a loan of Rs 2 lakh from a “commission agent” to pay a Mohali-based firm, Jet International Placement Services, to get a work permit for Switzerland. However, his dream was shattered when he read in newspapers about several cases of fraud being slapped against the firm’s proprietors.

“I was twice told by company officials that my money would be refunded and on three separate occasions I was given dates to come and collect it. But today (Monday) I found the firm’s office locked with no none around to respond to my queries”, said Hardeep, who had come along with his friends. The latter had also paid anything between Rs 40,000 and Rs 3 lakh to the firm to obtain work visas for Canada and other countries.
Meanwhile, in belated action, the local police has so far filed over 30 cases of cheating against the firm’s owners, Deepak Arora and Karandeep Singh, for failing to arrange work permits for their clients. Both are currently absconding. Another victim, Harmandeep of Sodan Kalan village in Moga district, who also came to Mohali looking for company officials, said he had paid Rs 1 lakh to Jet Point Immigration Consultancy Services, another firm owned by the proprietors of Jet International Placement Services, to get a Canadian work visa.
As the day progressed, a number of people whom the firm had allegedly cheated, and who had come from all over Punjab, began gathering outside the firm’s Phase 5 office to get back their money. All had been given the date of August 22 to get their refunds, but when they turned up at the firm’s office they found the doors locked and the proprietors nowhere in sight. “When we went to the police we were told our money would be recovered once the suspects were arrested”, said Kulwant Singh from Amritsar, one of the fraud victims.
The police said the employees were interrogated about the procedure that was followed by the firm while processing a large number of visa applications. They were also questioned about the agents involved and the reasons as to why visas of their clients were being rejected.

“The questioning was done to gather details about the exact modus operandi adopted by the accused and to obtain the identity of all those who formed part of the conspiracy. The employees were basically involved in bringing clients and convincing them to process their applications for migration overseas,” said Joshi.

Besides, the police also recovered a number of documents from the Sector 42 office of the company, including passports and visa applications.
A police team has been sent to all 14 banks in the region, which are under the scanner for conniving with the accused while opening fake bank accounts of their clients. The fake accounts were opened to enable the clients to fulfill requirements laid down by various high commissions/ embassies to qualify for a visa considering that the applicants were required to show that they had sufficient funds in their banks while applying for student visas. The police said they would be sending a letter to the Protector of Immigrants office tomorrow seeking blacklisting of the firm.
The FIR, registered at the Sector 36 police station, has named firm employees Kuldeep and Seema Dogra among others.
When we insisted our money be returned, we were threatened by bouncers engaged by the firm. — Pavitar Singh

The police was swift to apprehend one of the angry victims who carted away computers at the firm’s office, but failed to arrest Deepak Arora and Karandeep Singh, the company’s proprietors. — Gurdeep Kaur Harmandeep Singh
When we went to the police, we were told our money would be recovered once the suspects were arrested. — Kulwant Singh
I paid Rs 1 lakh to Jet Point Immigration Consultancy, another firm owned by the proprietors of Jet International Placement, to get a Canadian visa. — Harmandeep Singh

‘Modus operandi’ adopted by firm

First hand accounts given by the fraud victims reveal that to win over the confidence of visa seekers, the firm not only released advertisements on TV channels and billboards but also signed an advisory services agreement with the visa seekers on stamp paper to lend credibility to the exercise. On the receipts of fees the company officials specifically mentioned “If this work is not done this amount is totally refundable”.
Sukhdev Singh from Patiala, one of the fraud victims, said the firm used to ask for anything between Rs 10,000 and Rs 4 lakh as “token” money to process a case for a work visa. Most victims returned to get a refund after paying the token money as the visas could not be arranged. “When we insisted our money be returned we were threatened by bouncers engaged by the firm”, said Pavitar Singh.

Cops accused of conniving with firm

The gullible visa seekers who gathered at the firm’s Phase 5 office in Mohali accused the local police of failing to take action on their complaints that had been filed since January this year, giving ample time to the firm’s owners to swindle them of crores of rupees. Citing just one instance, Gurdeep Kaur, one of the fraud victims, claimed: “The police was swift to apprehend one of the angry victims who carted away computers at the firm’s office, but failed to arrest Deepak Arora and Karandeep Singh, the company’s proprietors. The cops have now suddenly woken up and have filed over 30 cases while the criminals have slipped away with our money. If the Chandigarh police can arrest the owner of Healthyway Immigration Consultants Pvt. Ltd, another firm that allegedly duped visa seekers, the Mohali police has ample resources at its command to track down the owners of Jet International Placement Services”.

Source: TNS