E-Paper
Ludhiana: Duped of ₹26 lakh by travel agents, man ends life
Deceased’s mother mentions in her police complaint that he wanted to go to Canada where his elder brother resides; the accused met the Nawanshahr-based couple for procuring visa but was defrauded, says complainant
A man allegedly duped of ₹26 lakh by travel agents ended his life by hanging himself from a hook at his residence in Arya Colony, Moti Nagar. Acting on a complaint filed by the victim’s mother, the Moti Nagar police have registered a case against an immigration firm owner, Arjun Sharma, and his wife Baljinder Kaur, residents of Banga Road in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr).
The complainant alleged that the accused had been threatening her son as he demanded return of his money, pushing him into severe mental distress. The complainant stated that she has three sons. Her eldest son is settled in Canada, while the other two reside in Ludhiana. She said her middle son along with his wife wished to visit his elder brother in Canada, following which her youngest son approached the accused to arrange visitor visas. The accused allegedly charged ₹26 lakh on the pretext of securing visas but failed to keep their promise.
According to the complaint, the woman tried to contact her youngest son on January 31, but his phone was switched off. When she received no response for two days, she sent relatives to check on him on February 2. The house was found locked from inside. After forcing the door open, they discovered him hanging from the ceiling fan.
The woman alleged that her son took the extreme step due to continuous harassment by the accused couple.
ASI Sahib Kumar, who is investigating the case, said a case has been registered against Arjun Sharma and Baljinder Kaur under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). “Further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact circumstances that led to the man’s death,” he said.
