Punjab orders action into visa fraud

Punjab's NRI commission has asked the police to act on a girl student's complaint against a Britain-based couple of Indian-origin for allegedly cheating her by getting a fake British visa stamped on her passport.

"The NRI Commission of Punjab has asked the Inspector General (NRI Affairs) to take appropriate action on the complaint of a girl student against two UK citizens for affixing a fake visa on her passport, fraud, cheating and breach of trust besides duping her of Rs.8 lakh ($13,500/8,800 pounds)," a commission spokesman said Friday.

Harpreet Goraya of village Goraya in Gurdaspur district alleged that she went to Britain on a student visa in September 2010 for one-and-a-half years and studied at the University of Sunderland.

Her visa was due to expire Jan 31, 2012 and this was known to Surinderjit Singh and Joginder Kaur, owners of Glamour Eyes and Brows Black, where she was working part-time. The duo told her that they would get her visa extended for two more years, if she paid them Rs.800,000.

"She submitted in her complaint that she paid 4,672 pounds from her savings account and the remaining amount was to be paid in India. The couple got affixed a visa and handed over the passport to her just before her flight to India," the spokesman, quoting the complainant, said.

After coming to India on her previous visa, Surinderjit Singh asked her to make the remaining payment to their relatives, Gurdev Singh Randhawa and his wife, in Batala town. She said that she paid the balance amount of Rs.336,000.

She said that when she went to the airport for going to Britain Feb 19, 2012, she was told the visa on her passport was fake.

Harpreet immediately called Joginder Kaur, who threatened her.

The student said that immigration authorities blacklisted her passport because of the fake visa.

"In view of its seriousness, the complaint has been sent to IG/NRI Affairs for action on or before Sep 10, 2013," the spokesman said.