Director of immigration firm held for Rs 14.5L fraud

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has arrested a managing director of a private immigration consultancy, for allegedly defrauding a client of Rs 14.5 lakh under the pretext of securing a Canadian visa, an official said on Monday.

A 29-year-old woman, resident of Rohini in Delhi, stated in her FIR that she engaged the firm in July 2023 to facilitate her relocation to Canada. Despite paying Rs 24 lakh for services, her visa process stagnated, with the company failing to provide updates, the FIR read.

After repeated follow-ups, she discovered that her visa application contained falsified information, including fake educational credentials and an invalid Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) number, it said.

The woman alleged that the company forged Canadian government documents and provided a fraudulent job offer letter.

When confronted, the accused issued cheques as a guarantee, but one for Rs 2.5 lakh was dishonoured due to a stop-payment order, police said. “An FIR was registered against the managing director of the company under various sections, including fraud. We have arrested the accused and further investigation is underway,” a senior police officer said.