Panchkula Police have arrested three men for allegedly defrauding a 25-year-old resident of Chandimandir Cantt of Rs43 lakh under the pretense of helping him move to the United States.
The arrested men, identified as Satyam and Gaurav Jain, both from Ambala Cantt, and Saurav Jindal from Zirakpur, Punjab, along with three other accused, facilitated the victim’s illegal travel to the US. However, the victim, Virender Kumar, was apprehended by US Border Patrol on January 25 and was among the 117 deportees sent back to India on February 13.
During the accused’s remand, police recovered Rs31 lakh of the total amount defrauded.
Virender Kumar, a Class-12 pass-out, told the police that he was introduced to Pankaj Sharma, a Kurukshetra-based travel agent, who promised to arrange a US tourist visa that could later be converted into a work visa. In exchange for Rs35 lakh, he was asked to pay an advance of Rs17 lakh.
Trusting Pankaj Sharma, Virender handed over his passport and arranged the initial sum by selling his father’s plot in Mubarakpur, Mohali.
The police have now arrested the primary accused and are continuing their investigation into the broader network behind the illegal travel scam.
