In a unique case of forgery and deception for arranging tourist visas, Chandigarh Police Sunday arrested two immigration agents, including a former paramilitary trooper.
The special investigation team (SIT) investigates immigration frauds, establish that Vikram Sharma, an ex-tropper, and Vinay Chadha, who owned Atlantic Overseas Consultancy in Sector 32 here, used to obtain information and documents of innocent residents and unlawfully use these for forging papers of their clients looking for to go abroad.
Both have been booked for fraud, cheating and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). They have been sent on a two day police remand by a local court here Sunday, an official said.
“The accused take the passport of an applicant with then searched on internet for a Chandigarh resident with similar name and initials. After this, they generate all necessary documents like bank statement, employer certificate and property documents in the surname of the visa applicant by using the surname and address of the reliable denizen of Chandigarh,” a police narrator said.
Police have identified 10-12 such fake addresses.
“The persons, whose residences proofs were used by the accused, have denied to have applied for tourist visa. The SIT team is investigating the role of a print press where the fake documents were printed,” the spokesman said.
The arrested people were earlier ready for an institute for organization and skill in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, police said.
Vikram Sharma earlier serve as a sub-inspector with the Central Industrial sanctuary Force for six years, police said.
“They charged Rs.5-8 lakh for each tourist visa. Both the accused used to keep their all documents with them and give their own mobile numbers to the concerned embassies with the motive to keep all things secret,” police said.
“They used seven to eight mobiles phones, registered in the name of the others,” the spokesman said.
The SIT is also investigating into a possible role of officials of a local branch of the HDFC Bank in the accused’s illegal operation.
“The team has recovered one Tata Safari SUV, passports, scanner, laptops, letter pad, fake bank statements, fake school certificates, fake statements and certificates of companies and other documents,” the spokesman said.
No comments:
Post a Comment