Ahmedabad: A farmer from Banaskantha was allegedly duped of Rs 3 lakh by three visa consultants who promised to secure work permits for him from Luxembourg and Finland.Navrangpura police on Wednesday registered a cheating complaint against three office-bearers of an Ahmedabad-based visa consultancy firm, following his complaint.The farmer, a resident of Deesa taluka, told police that he was introduced to the representatives of DAA Business Consultant Services Pvt Ltd by a friend, who had approached the firm for overseas employment opportunities.“In April 2024, I visited the company’s office near Stadium Circle on CG Road, where the representatives assured me that they could obtain a Luxembourg work visa within six months. for Rs 6.5 lakh. They sought an advance amount,” the farmer told police.The complainant transferred Rs 50,000 to the company’s account, signed an agreement appointing the firm as his visa consultant, and completed all necessary formalities. Several months later, the complainant was allegedly shown a job offer letter from Luxembourg and asked to pay an additional Rs 50,000 for medical examination and further visa processing. He complied and also underwent a medical check-up at a private hospital.However, when the promised visa did not materialise, the consultancy allegedly advised him to switch his application from Luxembourg to Finland, assuring him that the process would be completed within 60 days at no additional cost. He was later provided with another overseas job offer letter.The complainant alleged that during meetings at the firm’s office in Thaltej, company representatives showed him temporary resident cards of other clients and assured him that his Finnish work permit was in process. Trusting these assurances, he transferred an additional Rs 3 lakh in multiple instalments in Aug 2025.When no visa was forthcoming, he demanded a refund. According to the complaint, the accused later entered into a settlement agreement promising to return the money within a month. While Rs 1 lakh was eventually refunded in two instalments, the remaining Rs 3 lakh was not returned.Navrangpura police have registered a case against the three office-bearers on charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust.
