Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to a visa consultant accused of defrauding a man. The man claimed the consultant failed to secure his Canadian visa, even after his wife had left for Canada and her job there was not secured.Milton Chaudhary, 24, who works as a medical representative in Ahmedabad, filed an FIR against two visa consultants – Abhay Rawal and Viral Manani – on April 25 with Mehsana A Division police station. He accused them of cheating him out of Rs 28.5 lakh by promising Canadian work visas for him and his wife in 2022. His wife, Zalak, got a visa and went to Canada, but was not employed yet. Chaudhary did not get a visa, and the consultants stopped receiving his calls. The police charged both consultants with cheating and criminal breach of trust.Manani approached the HC after he was issued summons by the police and urged for anticipatory bail. His counsel contended that the FIR was filed because the complainant was frustrated, as he could not secure a visa after his wife left for Canada. He questioned the claims made in the FIR by submitting that Chaudhary’s biometrics were complete and he faced the interview but could not clear it. His failure to secure a visa cannot be attributed to the consultants.After a preliminary hearing, Justice Vimal Vyas noted, “It, prima facie, appears that the complaint for the alleged offence has been filed after a delay of three years of the incident. It further, prima facie, appears that the applicant has already completed the process of work permit visa so far as the wife of the complainant is concerned and she has already been sent to Canada. However, as she could not join the services at the company, namely, the last Cue and Ball Inc., Canada, the process of dependent visa of the complainant could not be finalised. It is not in dispute that still the wife of the complainant is in Canada.”The HC granted conditional anticipatory bail to Manani after the police stated that they did not intend to arrest him if he cooperates with the investigation.
