E-Paper
Panchkula: Visa consultant booked by police for ₹9-lakh fraud
Complainant Sanjeev Kumar, a 55-year-old IT consultancy professional and resident of Sector 17, alleged that the accused defrauded him of ₹9 lakh and illegally withheld his passport under the guise of facilitating his permanent residency (PR) in Canada
The Sector-14 police station on Friday registered a case against Ashwani Siyal, a partner at Digne Visa Consultant, Zirakpur, on charges of fraud and criminal breach of trust.
The action follows a complaint filed by Sanjeev Kumar, a 55-year-old IT consultancy professional and resident of Sector 17, who alleged that Siyal defrauded him of ₹9 lakh and illegally withheld his passport under the guise of facilitating his permanent residency (PR) in Canada.
The police have registered a case under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged on April 7, Kumar approached Siyal in hopes of securing PR in Canada. Siyal reportedly assured him that the process could be completed for a total cost of ₹20 lakh. Convinced by the promise, Kumar submitted his educational and employment documents along with his passport and began making payments.
Between the initial agreement in March 2024, Kumar paid ₹9 lakh in instalments. Siyal allegedly assured him that all the required formalities would be completed by June 2024 and that his passport and documents would be returned thereafter.
However, as the agreed timelines passed with no progress or official updates, Kumar grew suspicious. He approached another immigration consultant to verify the status of his application and was shocked to learn that no PR application had ever been filed with the Canadian embassy in his name. Upon confronting Siyal, Kumar was told that the ₹9 lakh would be refunded by October 2024. However, the money was not returned and when Kumar pressed further, Siyal allegedly responded with threats.
The police are investigating the matter.
