VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday booked a Telugu couple based in the United States for allegedly duping several students under the guise of getting them H1B visas. Though the alleged fraud is believed to have been committed over the course of several months, official sources said it came to light on Monday after a complaint was lodged with the Department of Homeland Security in Atlanta by some victims.
In their complaint, the victims said one Muthyala Sunil and his wife Praneetha posed as visa consultants and promised youngsters studying in different universities and colleges of providing the visas for which they collected $25,000 from each student. Sunil currently resides in Morrisville of North Carolina. “We received a e-mail complaint from a student who said the couple collected crores of rupees from several students holding F1 visas in the US, on the pretext of getting them H1B visas,” said a senior CID official.
An FIR has been registered under sections 420 (cheating), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 406 r/w 120B (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code, he added.
Elaborating further, the official said a lookout notice would be issued against the family members of the accused in West Godavari as well. “Officials will begin the process of collecting statements from other students. In our preliminary probe, we found out that Sunil has transferred Rs 1 crore to his father’s account in West Godavari district.”