The accused in the case have been identified as Veenu Malhotra, 38, and Amit Malhotra, 39, both residents of Phase 1 Dugri, Ludhiana. They operate an immigration firm called Global Way Immigration, located near Ishmeet Chowk in Model Town.
The pair was arrested just two hours after a complaint was filed by a woman police officer assigned to the chief minister’s security. She reported that her brother and sister-in-law were defrauded of Rs14.3 lakh under the guise of securing UK visas for them.
Authorities recovered approximately Rs1.07 crore in cash from the suspects, which police believe was acquired through fraudulent activities. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP, City 3) Shubham Aggarwal confirmed that the FIR was registered after a complaint from Ravneet Kaur of Mohali Phase 8, also part of the chief minister’s security detail. The case has been filed under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 24 of the Immigration Act at the Model Town police station.
Model Town SHO, Sub-Inspector Avneet Kaur, stated that the accused would initially gain the victims’ trust by claiming they would only charge fees after the visas were granted. However, they later coerced clients into paying large sums by alleging that their documents were incomplete.
Further investigations suggest that more recoveries may be possible from the duo, with Veenu Malhotra reportedly facing three other cheating cases.
In a related incident on August 12, Hardeep Singh from Dhuri, Sangrur, and his wife Amandeep Kaur protested atop a water tank near Ishmeet Chowk, claiming the same firm had swindled them out of Rs10 lakh. They alleged that the firm demanded a total of Rs26 lakh, with an upfront payment of Rs10 lakh to secure their visas. After making the payment via RTGS in February, they faced continuous delays and were ultimately denied a refund.
In response to the mounting complaints, the district administration revoked the firm’s license on August 13.