Mohali: The NRI police station has registered a case against a Mohali-based visa consultancy for allegedly cheating a Patiala resident of Rs 10.5 lakh. The accused allegedly promised German work visas by arranging fake job offer letters and forged documents.The case against Ramandeep Kaur, operator and head counsellor of an immigration firm in Mohali, has been registered under Sections 318(4) and 61 of BNS and Section 24 of the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act, 2014 (as stated by the police).Complainant Priya Kumari, a resident of Patiala, approached the NRI Wing, Punjab, alleging that she had applied for German work visas for herself and two other persons through the consultancy. She claimed that the firm collected Rs 10.5 lakh from them after promising to secure employment and work visas in Germany.As part of the process, the consultancy allegedly provided a job offer letter purportedly issued by a major hotel chain’s Berlin branch, along with other supporting documents required for the visa application.When the complainant called the said hotel, the management informed her that the offer letter was fake and clarified that it had neither issued any such employment offer nor received any application.Realising that she had been duped, Priya Kumari lodged a complaint with the NRI Wing, seeking legal action against the accused and recovery of the money.Police said a preliminary inquiry was first conducted by the NRI Police Station, Patiala. The inquiry report was subsequently forwarded to the Punjab NRI Wing headquarters. Based on the findings of the investigation, a formal FIR was registered at the NRI Police Station, Mohali.Investigating officer Rajbir Singh said, “A case has been registered at the NRI police station after receiving the investigation report. Raids are being conducted to trace and arrest the accused. We are also examining the records of the firm to ascertain whether any other people were similarly cheated with fake job offer letters or forged immigration documents.”Police said further investigation is underway to identify other possible victims and examine the consultancy’s business practices. If additional complainants come forward, further legal action may be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
