Ahmedabad: A lecturer at a govt polytechnic college has filed a complaint of cheating with Satellite police alleging that she and her friend were duped of more than Rs 34 lakh after being promised UK work visas.According to the complaint lodged on Wednesday, the Gandhinagar resident, posted at a govt polytechnic college in Valsad, was exploring overseas employment opportunities in 2024. Through a school friend, she came in contact with individuals offering immigration consultancy services and was later introduced to a person who claimed to facilitate UK work visas.Police said a WhatsApp group was created including the complainant, her friend and the intermediaries, through which discussions regarding visa processing, documentation and payments took place.Initially, the complainant transferred Rs 2.5 lakh towards profile review charges. Thereafter, multiple payments were allegedly made towards visa processing and related formalities. The complainant and her friend together transferred more than Rs 35 lakh to accounts specified by the visa facilitator, including an overseas bank account.The complainant alleged that despite repeated assurances, no concrete progress was shown regarding the visa applications. Whenever updates were sought, she was allegedly given explanations for delays and asked to wait for further processing.Concerned by the delay, the complainant and her friend sought a refund. According to the FIR, the visa facilitator issued a settlement agreement promising repayment of £25,000 by Nov 2025. However, only Rs 62,528 was returned in a few instalments, while the remaining Rs 34.4 lakh allegedly remained unpaid.The woman has alleged that she and her friend were induced to part with large sums of money on the promise of obtaining UK work visas and were later denied both the visas and the promised refund.Satellite police have registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust and launched an investigation into the financial transactions, communications and the role of all persons involved in the alleged fraud.
