Photo credit: Indian Express
A local court in Mohali, India, has convicted an immigration agent in a visa fraud case and sentenced her to three years of rigorous imprisonment, imposing a fine of Rs 1.02 lakh as compensation to the complainant.
The Indian Express reports that Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Anish Goyal held Chhavi Sharma guilty under Section 420 (cheating and dishonesty inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 24 of the Immigration Act.
According to the prosecution, a case was registered at the Mataur police station on January 18, 2024, in connection with an alleged fraud of Rs 19 lakh.
In November 2022, the complainant approached Star Future Education and Immigration Services in Mohali to secure an Australian study visa for his daughter. The accused promised to arrange the visa within 90 days and collected nearly Rs 19 lakh in instalments.
However, the visa process was neither completed within the stipulated time nor was the money refunded. After waiting for over a year, the complainant discovered that the university’s offer letter provided by the accused was fake, prompting him to approach the police.
During the trial, the court observed that financial transactions and elements of cheating were clearly established through bank records and witness testimonies.
However, the court also remarked that the complainant failed to independently verify the authenticity of the offer letter from the concerned university.
After evaluating the evidence and hearing both sides, the court acquitted the accused of charges related to forgery and criminal conspiracy, but held her guilty of cheating and operating without proper authorization under the Immigration Act.
