Promised job in UK, Nepali couple duped of ₹27 lakh by private visa counsellor

The man from Nepal had learnt about the company from social media in June 2024 as it had posted several success stories.

A senior visa counsellor from a private company has been arrested for allegedly cheating a Nepali couple of nearly ₹27 lakh by promising them a job in London and a visa. The private company’s owner, Rohit Sonagra, has also been named a co-accused.

The man had contacted the accused with the listed mobile number, who introduced herself as a ‘senior visa counsellor’ and assured him a job and a visa for London.(Pexels/Representational)

The Kandivali police said that the complainant, Vikas Vidurkumar Khatiwada from Nepal, runs a business as a consultant for engineering firms. Since his wife Monika Dahal wanted to work in London, Khatiwada was trying to find agencies in Mumbai that would provide such a job and facilitate the visa.

In June 2024, Dahal came across a private company on social media which had posted several success stories of having provided jobs to people wanting to work abroad. Dahal then contacted Tiwari with the listed mobile number, and Tiwari introduced herself as a ‘senior visa counsellor’ and assured Dahal a job and a visa for London.

The police said that the couple was told that the costs for their visas would come to at least £25,000 (over ₹29 lakh) and the process would require an advance payment of ₹2 lakh.

The couple not only paid the ₹2 lakh, but from June 2024 and May 2025 they transferred another ₹25 lakh to Tiwari. When no updates followed the couple finally approached the police in June and an embezzlement and fraud case was registered against the accused duo. The police then began a search for the absconding accused and finally arrested Tiwari on Sunday. Tiwari confessed that she had committed the fraud with Sonagra’s help, and was remanded to police custody.