Canada PR scam: Immigration agents collect ₹31 lakh, shut office and flee abroad

The Sola High Court police have registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust after a city resident alleged that two immigration consultants duped two persons of ₹31 lakh on the promise of securing Canadian permanent residency (PR) for their families.

As per the First Information Report (FIR), Sandeepkumar Patel (35), a maintenance technician with a pharmaceutical company, was approached by Ruchita Babu and Hardev Babu, partners of Dwisha Consultants, whose office was located in a commercial complex opposite the Gujarat High Court on S G Highway.

Patel stated that in February 2023, he contacted the consultants to process Canadian PR applications for himself, his wife Sapnaben and their daughter. After verifying documents such as passports, expense certificates and other records, the consultants allegedly quoted a total fee of ₹58 lakh and sought an initial payment of 30 per cent.

Between November 2023 and May 2024, Patel paid a total of ₹16 lakh to Hardev Babu through a mix of bank transfers and cash. The payments included transfers to accounts held in the names of the accused, as directed by the consultants. Patel alleged that the money was taken on the assurance that his family’s PR file was being processed and that a job offer approval from Canada had been secured.

The complainant further alleged that his brother-in-law’s brother, Ketankumar Dasharathbhai Patel, was also induced to apply for Canadian PR through the same firm and paid ₹15 lakh to the accused.

Despite repeated follow-ups, the consultants allegedly avoided meetings and eventually shut their office. Patel claimed that he later learnt that both accused had left for Canada and had no intention of returning to India. Attempts to contact them via phone calls and messages reportedly failed, and no progress was made on the PR applications.

“In total, ₹31 lakh was collected from both on the pretext of arranging Canadian PR. The accused allegedly neither completed the immigration process nor refunded the money, and instead closed their office and left the country,” a police official said.

Based on the complaint, police have registered an offence and initiated an investigation. Statements of witnesses, including family members of the complainant and the second victim, are being recorded, and efforts are under way to trace the accused and examine financial transactions linked to the case.