NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has arrested a 33-year-old Chennai-based agent who used to lure people on the pretext of sending them abroad by offering approved passports and visas of foreign countries at cheaper rates, a police officer said on Wednesday. The accused was identified as Karamjeet alias Vinod.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGIA) Usha Rangnani said an Indian passenger, namely Karanbeer Singh, a resident of Moga, Punjab arrived from Germany by flight as a deportee on February 24, last year. He was deported from Germany for illegal stay.
“On further scrutiny of his travel documents, it came into notice that the passenger had departed from India in June 2022 on an Indian Passport from Amritsar. But on arrival from Germany as a deportee, he used a different passport issued in the name of Ranjodh Singh which he had procured fraudulently,” the DCP said.
Accordingly, the police registered a case for cheating and other relevant sections of the IPC against the accused passenger.
During investigation, Karanbeer Singh disclosed that his journey to France was arranged by two agents Gurjit Singh and Karamjeet Vinod for an amount of Rs 35 lakhs out of which Rs 25 lakhs was paid in cash while the rest was transferred to their bank accounts.
“He had given his passport to Gurjit Singh who provided him with a Visa and facilitated his journey to many countries, Dubai, Sarbia, Austria. Italy, Milan, Barcelona and the US. In the US, as per the commitment of the agents, a forged Visa of France was also arranged but he was caught and his passport was seized by the police there,” the DCP said.
On agent Vinod’s directions, Karanbeer reached Barcelona where a passport in the name of Ranjodh Singh, a resident of Kaithal, Haryana having Schengen Visa was arranged for him. Thereafter, he visited Wien City and reached Cancun where he was not permitted to enter and sent to Frankfurt, Germany from where he was deported to India.
The DCP said, during investigation, agent Gurjit Singh, resident of Jalandhar, Punjab, was also arrested but Karamjeet managed to escape. “Karamjeet was absconding and deliberately evading arrest hence an LOC (look out notice) was also circulated with this case,” said Rangnani.
The police received information regarding the accused Karamjeet after which a police team was dispatched to Chennai from where the accused was arrested while he was planning to flee the country.
Under interrogation, the accused disclosed that he has studied upto Class 12 and was presently working as HR manager in a private company in UAE providing medical equipment for the last 2 years.
He further disclosed that he used to work on commission basis along with other agents. In this case, he had facilitated the passenger in stay arrangements abroad and helped him in arranging forged Visa of France and passport under the name of Ranjodh Singh with the help of another agent Gurjit Singh, an assignment for which, they had received a commission of about Rs 25 lakhs.
‘Working on commission’
Under interrogation, the accused Karamjeet disclosed that he used to work on commission basis along with other agents. He had facilitated the passenger in stay arrangements abroad and helped him in arranging forged Visa of France and passport under the name of Ranjodh Singh with the help of another agent Gurjit Singh, for which they had received about Rs 25 lakhs.