A 28-year-old student from Ahmedabad was allegedly cheated of Rs6.5 lakh in a UK visa extension scam while pursuing his studies in the United Kingdom. The Crime Investigation Department (CID), Gandhinagar, has arrested a Vadodara-based tattoo artist in connection with the case, officials confirmed.
The complainant, Sunilkumar Prajapati, a resident of Bansidhar Society near Rabari Colony in Amraiwadi, stated that he travelled to the UK on April 12, 2022, to pursue a Diploma in Business Management after completing Class 12. His student visa was valid until August 30, 2023.
While studying at a college in Wembley, London, Prajapati was introduced through a friend to Mitul Chavda, a tattoo artist from Vadodara, and his wife, Kritika Shah. The couple allegedly assured him of arranging a three-month visa extension in exchange for Rs6.50 lakh.
According to CID officials, the accused kept delaying the visa process by offering excuses whenever interview dates neared. Investigations revealed that forged documents and fake college admission certificates were allegedly created in the student’s name, despite him not being enrolled in those institutions.
When Prajapati realised he had been defrauded, the accused couple reportedly returned to India in June 2023, claiming they would return to the UK within a month. The student later returned to India and filed a complaint with CID Crime.
During interrogation, Mitul Chavda reportedly revealed that Kritika Shah had married him after divorcing her first husband. Further investigation found that after returning from the UK, Kritika divorced Chavda and later remarried another individual.
CID Crime Police Inspector J.V. Rathod confirmed that Mitul Chavda has been taken into custody, and further investigation into the visa fraud network is underway.
