Chandigarh: A Mohali-based family has alleged that a Ludhiana immigration agent duped them of ₹9.5 lakh on the pretext of sending their son abroad on a work visa.
According to the complaint, the accused lured the family with promises of arranging an Armenia work visa, including e-visa processing and flight tickets, but later turned out to be fraudulent.
Following a complaint to the Additional Deputy Director of the NRI Wing, Punjab Police registered a case against the accused, identified as Harpal Singh, who runs an immigration firm in Ludhiana. The case has been filed under charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust, and Section 24 of the Immigration Act.
Complainant Inderjit Singh said he initially approached the agent to send his son Parmeet to Romania. The accused assured that the visa would be arranged within a month and took ₹50,000 to start the process.
Later, the agent claimed to have secured an Armenia e-visa but did not provide complete documents. He demanded further payments, after which ₹1 lakh was transferred on August 4, 2025, and another ₹1.5 lakh was handed over in cash during a visit to Mohali.
The family alleged that the accused falsely claimed tickets had been booked for August 10 as the visa was expiring on August 15. However, no ticket was issued and no travel arrangements were made.
When the family demanded a refund, the accused allegedly began abusing them and issued threats.
Police have initiated an investigation into the case.
