Ahmedabad Court Rejects Anticipatory Bail in ₹81.95 Lakh Canada-New Zealand Visa Fraud Case

An Ahmedabad Sessions Court has rejected anticipatory bail for Oishali Akbarali Hasanwala, accused of allegedly cheating victims of ₹81.95 lakh by promising work visas for Canada and New Zealand.

Court Says Custodial Interrogation Needed

Additional Sessions Judge J.I. Patel rejected Hasanwala’s anticipatory bail plea, observing that the investigation was still underway and custodial interrogation was required.

The court also noted that a similar case had been registered against the accused and that the allegations involved serious financial fraud.

₹60.75 Lakh Collected Through Visa Promises

According to the prosecution, the accused advertised overseas placement opportunities on social media and promised New Zealand work permits for ₹20 lakh per couple.

The complainant and other victims allegedly paid a total of ₹60.75 lakh in connection with the promised work permits. The court also noted that ₹10 lakh appeared to have been transferred to the bank account of co-accused Vaibhav Prajapati.

The prosecution alleged that the accused operated bogus visa consultancies without valid registration or licences and used forged documents as genuine to prepare fake job offer letters and visas.

Prosecution Alleges ₹81.95 Lakh Fraud

Chief Public Prosecutor Sudhir Brahmbhatt opposed the bail application, alleging that the accused had entered into a pre-planned conspiracy to cheat people seeking overseas employment.

According to the prosecution, victims were handed fake visas and the accused collected ₹81.95 lakh through bank transfers, cash transactions and Angadia firms.

Defence Cites Delay in Complaint

The defence argued that the alleged transactions dated back to 2024, while the complaint was filed in 2026. It also submitted that ₹11.40 lakh had already been returned and argued that custodial interrogation was unnecessary.

Hasanwala had approached the Sessions Court seeking protection from arrest, maintaining that no such offence had been committed.

Court Rejects Bail Application

The court observed that the FIR was registered after a local complaint and an investigation indicating that an offence had been committed.

Considering the seriousness of the allegations, the ongoing investigation and the need for custodial interrogation, the court held that granting anticipatory bail at this stage would not be justified.

The Sessions Court therefore rejected Oishali Akbarali Hasanwala’s anticipatory bail application.