The Delhi Police has arrested four accused from Mehsana district in an alleged visa fraud case. Two of them are from a consultancy firm in Gujarat. The move came after the US Embassy, New Delhi, filed a complaint on June 20, seeking urgent action by the Delhi Police and the Central government in two cases of “visa fraud” by the accused from Mehsana district.
The four arrested have been identified as Mihir Maheshbhai Patel and Chirag Labhubhai Patel, the owner and an employee of ‘Vision Overseas’ in Gujarat’s Kadi, respectively, and the visa applicants, Nehaben Laljibhai Patel (26) and Pinkal Shaileshbhai Patel (24) — all residents of Mehsana, said police.
Based on a complaint by Eric Molitors, overseas criminal investigator at the US Embassy’s regional security office, an FIR was registered against the accused at the Chanakyapuri police station on June 20.
According to the complaint, Neha had applied for a non-immigrant visa at the Embassy, and allegedly claimed that she obtained a BA degree from Pramukh Swami Science & H D Patel Arts College, and then worked at Morvel Laboratory and Cadila Pharmaceuticals. She also presented a bank balance certificate, on a Karnavati Cooperative Bank letterhead, of over Rs 52 lakh, said the complainant.
However, Neha, allegedly admitted during the visa interview process that she had lied about her education and finances earlier, and the documents she submitted were forged by two visa agents — Chirag and Mihir — for Rs 1.5 lakh. It was purportedly decided that she would pay the agents another Rs 24.5 lakh once the visa got approved.
According to the Embassy’s complaint: “…an attempt to procure visas based on false documents and statements, with an intent to overstay in the US, is a serious security matter, which affects both the US and India.”
In the second incident, Pinkal — who had also applied for a non-immigrant visa — allegedly admitted to similar forgery; she had also submitted a balance certificate of over Rs 51 lakh from Karnavati Cooperative Bank. In Pinkal’s case, Chirag took Rs 2 lakh, with Rs 10 lakh more once the visa got approved.
According to Embassy officials, they then summoned Chirag and during questioning, he revealed that his brother Chintankumar Patel, currently in the US, and Mihir, who was residing in Delhi’s Paharganj, own ‘Vision Overseas’; Mihir and Chintankumar provided forged documents to these two visa applicants among several others. The Delhi Police then arrested the four accused, said police sources, adding that they are now in Gujarat Police’s custody. A further investigation is underway, said officials.
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