The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted searches at six locations, including Delhi, Patiala, Gurdaspur and Jammu, and registered a case against six persons, including two former officials who were working in the embassy of France at New Delhi, in a case of visa fraud, said officials.
The agency has alleged that Shubham Shokeen and Aarti Mandal, both former workers at the embassy’s visa department, committed the fraud in conspiracy with others between January and May.
“It was alleged that the two accused working in the visa department of the embassy of France at New Delhi conspired with others and perpetrated a visa fraud during the period from January 1 to May 6 this year,” said an official spokesperson of the CBI.
It was further alleged that in pursuance to the said criminal conspiracy, applicants from Punjab and Jammu submitted fake and forged letters purportedly written by a private company based at Bengaluru to the Consulate General of France at Bengaluru for issuing entry visas for their joining private companies in Port of Le Havre in France, he added.
“On being approached by the applicants, the said two officials in the visa department allegedly issued entry visas in favour of three other accused after taking illegal gratification of ₹50,000 per visa, without the knowledge and approval of the head of visa department, embassy of France at New Delhi,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“On being approached by the applicants, the said two officials in the visa department allegedly issued entry visas in favour of three other accused after taking illegal gratification of ₹50,000 per visa, without the knowledge and approval of the head of visa department, embassy of France at New Delhi,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}It was also alleged that after issuance of entry visa, the two officials destroyed the documents and files.
During the period of five months, several files were allegedly handled by these accused which mostly pertained to individuals, including young farmers or unemployed people from Punjab, who had not travelled earlier.
“Incriminating documents and articles, including laptop, mobile phones, and suspicious passports have so far been recovered,” said the spokesperson.
Further investigations are on, he added.