Gujarat farmer alleges Rs 48L Canada visa fraud

Ahmedabad: A 32-year-old farmer from Mansa in Gandhinagar district filed a complaint with CID (Crime), alleging he was cheated of Rs 48.02 lakh after being promised a permanent residency for his wife in Canada. The complaint names a Gandhinagar-based visa consultancy operating from Sector 16, along with its associates, and accuses them of cheating, criminal breach of trust, and conspiracy.The complainant alleged that he was promised that his wife would first obtain a work permit and later obtain permanent residency after a year of employment. According to the complaint, an MoU was signed on Nov 12, 2022. He alleged he paid Rs 10 lakh by cheque, later transferred Rs 5 lakh via RTGS, and paid Rs 28 lakh in cash through intermediaries at an office in Kalol.
He also claimed to have spent Rs 1 lakh on processing and documentation. He said his wife completed medical tests in Ahmedabad, submitted the documents as instructed, and was later told that an LMIA letter and a passport request had been issued. In Oct 2023, she travelled to Toronto after receiving a work visa stamp at the visa application centre in Ahmedabad.The complaint alleges that on arrival, Canadian immigration authorities said the company named in the LMIA had not issued any job offer, termed the work letter invalid, and told her to return to India or apply for refugee status. She returned to India on Oct 29, 2023.The complainant alleged he spent an additional Rs 4.02 lakh on air fare, legal consultation and related expenses in Canada, including CAD 2,000 paid to a lawyer in Mississauga. He further alleged that by Dec 2023, the consultancy's office was closed and phones were switched off, and that one of the key accused had left for Dubai. Though they assured him they would either send his wife again or return the money, he alleged that no refund was made. The complaint alleges that the accused "in collusion with each other, dishonestly induced us to part with money on false assurances of a Canada PR process".CID (Crime) has registered a case under IPC sections related to breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy, and has begun an investigation.