Visa for Rs 45 lakh: CBI busts French Embassy racket preying on Punjabis

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed chargesheets against eight individuals involved in a high-stakes visa fraud operation under the guise of the French Embassy's visa department in New Delhi.

 

The accused include a Local Law Officer from the embassy’s visa department, his father, brother, wife, and four others, comprising two Punjab-based visa agents and two middlemen.

 

The scam, which ran between January 2021 and May 2022, exploited the desperation of applicants from Punjab seeking Schengen visas, charging each between ₹13 lakh to ₹45 lakh in return for guaranteed visa approvals.

 

The entire operation was orchestrated by Shubham Shokeen, a Local Law Officer in the Visa Department of the French Embassy in New Delhi.

 

Objective of the scam: To illegally issue French (Schengen) visas to Indian nationals, mainly from Punjab, in exchange for huge sums of money — by misusing official powers and bypassing standard visa procedures.

 

How the Scam Unfolded

According to the CBI, the key accused—who held a sensitive role in the visa department—used his access to manipulate the system. In collusion with a network of visa agents, the officer allegedly processed visa applications in return for large sums of money. Once the visas were granted, all related documents were destroyed, effectively erasing any official trail.

 

The agents, mainly operating out of Punjab, were responsible for collecting the money and routing it through various accounts. The funds were ultimately funneled to the officer and his immediate family members via two middlemen.

 

How did it work? 

Target group: Visa aspirants from Punjab, eager to go to Europe.

 

Bribe amounts: Applicants were charged between ₹13–45 lakh for guaranteed French visas.

 

Inside job: The embassy's Local Law Officer exploited his position to approve visas.

 

No trace left: Once the visas were granted, supporting documents were destroyed to eliminate evidence.

 

Money trail: The bribe money flowed from visa agents → middlemen → officer’s family, often routed through multiple bank accounts.

 

CBI investigators discovered huge amounts of unaccounted cash, property documents worth crores, and assets held both in India and abroad, including locations in Delhi and Punjab. The money trail indicated a complex laundering network, implicating multiple players in what authorities described as a deep-rooted criminal conspiracy.

 

In a significant milestone, this case also led to India’s first-ever Interpol Silver Notice, issued through CBI's International Operations Division. The Silver Notice was used to help trace and freeze foreign assets linked to the crime—a first in Indian law enforcement history

 

"A network of visa agents, mostly based in Punjab received money ranging from Rs.13 Lakh to Rs.45 Lakh from each visa applicant and in lieu of these large sums of money, visa applications were processed by the accused and after issuance of Schengen visas, the accused destroyed the visa documents and files.

 

During investigation, huge amounts of cash and multiple documents relating to properties worth crores, acquired in India and abroad were found at various locations in Punjab and Delhi. Two accused Visa agents were the key co-conspirators who funneled the money through various bank accounts, which ultimately reached the accused Local Law Officer and his family members-Brother,Father and Wife through the two accused middlemen," CBI said in a statement.

 

Who are the accused?

Shubham Shokeen – Local Law Officer (main accused)

 

Samunder Singh – Father

 

Abhishek Shokeen – Brother

 

Aarti Choudhary – Wife

 

Balwinder Singh Bartia & Pritpal Singh – Visa agents

 

Jashandeep Singh Sidhu & Bhawan Shokeen – Middlemen

 

How big is this?

This is not just another visa fraud. It’s India’s first case where a Silver Notice was issued through Interpol—a move that helps trace foreign assets acquired through crime.

 

The case is also significant because it:

 

Exposes embassy-level corruption

 

Reveals the vulnerability of Indian applicants, especially in Punjab

 

Demonstrates CBI’s growing global coordination

 

What happens now?

Trial in the CBI Court, New Delhi

 

Continued investigation to trace international money trails

 

Possible seizure of foreign assets

 

Tighter scrutiny of foreign visa departments