Ahmedabad: Operators of a visa consultancy firm in the city have been accused of cheating a family from Borsad out of Rs 41 lakh after assuring them of a Canada Permanent Residency (PR). A 36-year-old woman filed a complaint with Ellisbridge police on Saturday stating that the family had approached the firm in March 2024 after seeing its social media presence, and were assured that permanent residency would be arranged in a year. The total expense was quoted as Rs 42 lakh, the complainant stated, adding that the family sold valuables and borrowed money to make the payments.She alleged that as per instructions, payments were made in phases to multiple bank accounts and later through angadia channels. In April 2024, funds were transferred as advance payments. Further amounts were deposited a month later. A few months later, the firm allegedly demanded more money to sort out an “experience letter issue”. In Dec, money was transferred to the consultancy’s office staff, the complaint states.The family was allegedly told that a passport request letter would be needed which would be printed only after “Rs 25.8 lakh is sent in cash to Delhi via angadia”. Fearing the process would stop, the family sold jewellery and borrowed money from relatives and friends. After the cash was sent this March, the family only received documents showing a three-year work permit in Canada instead of permanent residency. The complainant also alleged that the consultancy took no further action on the PR and did not refund the money either. The family was threatened for demanding the money saying their immigration profile would be ruined.
