Ahmedabad couple duped of ₹5 lakh in Canadian work visa fraud, travel agents booked

A 35-year-old homemaker from Ambawadi has filed a police complaint against two individuals running a visa consultancy firm in Ahmedabad, alleging they defrauded her of ₹5 lakh under the pretext of securing a Canadian work permit visa. Despite repeated follow-ups, neither the visa was delivered nor was the money refunded.

According to the FIR filed at Navrangpura Police Station on Friday, the complainant, Megha Trivedi, a resident of Ambawadi, stated that in April 2021, she and her husband, Kandarp Trivedi, who works at GNFC, decided to apply for a Canadian work visa. They were introduced to the accused through a former neighbour.

The accused, identified as Kushal Patel and Upaben Patel, who operate Keshavam International, an immigration and visa consultancy located at Commerce Six Complex opposite Samved Hospital, allegedly assured the couple that they would secure a Canadian work permit within six months. They quoted a fee of ₹20 lakh for the process.

Relying on their assurances, the Trivedis submitted their documents, including Aadhaar and PAN cards, and made an initial payment of ₹3.5 lakh via online transfer from Kandarp’s HDFC Bank account to a Dutch Bank account held by Kushal Patel. Two subsequent payments of ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh were also made, taking the total to ₹5 lakh.

The accused claimed a nomination letter was imminent and sought more money, but grew evasive when asked for written proof. Eventually, they emailed a confirmation, stating that the nomination letter would arrive within a month, and assured a refund if it did not.

When the nomination letter failed to materialise, Megha demanded a refund. In response, the accused issued three post-dated cheques amounting to ₹3.5 lakh. However, all three cheques—drawn on Kotak Mahindra Bank—were dishonoured between October 21 and 24, 2024.

After the cheques bounced and the accused stopped responding, Megha filed a formal complaint. The police have registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

Further investigation is underway to determine whether the firm has defrauded other applicants similarly.