Chandigarh police have arrested four persons in separate cases of overseas job fraud, duping youths out of lakhs of rupees under the pretext of securing work visas abroad.
In the first case, Bhateh Singh from Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), along with Anubhav Garg of Sangrur (Punjab) and his wife Akanksha, were arrested for running a fake overseas placement agency in Sector 17, Chandigarh. They allegedly lured victims with promises of jobs in Europe.
The complainant, a Panchkula resident, stated he was duped of Rs1.55 lakh for a Luxembourg work visa. Bhateh Singh was arrested on January 22 and sent to three-day police remand. Further investigation led to the arrest of the Sangrur couple on January 29, who had 15 similar cases registered against them in Chandigarh. They were remanded in two-day police custody.
In a separate case, Mandeep Singh of Ludhiana was arrested for defrauding a local resident of nearly RS9 lakh under the pretext of a New Zealand work visa. The complainant said he met Mandeep through an acquaintance in June 2023. Mandeep allegedly collected documents, showed fake job offer letters and airline tickets, and demanded money in the name of visa procedures and fees.
A case was registered at Chandimandir Police Station, and a team led by Anti-Immigration Fraud Unit in-charge Yogvinder Singh arrested Mandeep on January 27. He was remanded for three days. DCP Srishti Gupta said Mandeep was a repeat offender with four cases in Panchkula and Punjab involving fake work visas for New Zealand and Canada.
Police investigations in both cases are ongoing to track additional victims and potential accomplices.
