New Delhi, Aug 25: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted searches at the premises of Balwinder Singh Bartia , a private Agent), based in Ludhiana, in an on-going investigation of a case related to alleged VISA fraud in French Embassy.
According to CBI statement, during search incriminating material were recovered. A cash of Rs 70.10 lakh was also recovered from a bank locker at Ludhiana.
During investigation of the said case, involvement of one agent (private person) based at Machhiwara, Ludhiana in facilitating issuance of Schengen VISAs to the VISA applicants also came to light. It was alleged that he collected cash amounts ranging from Rs 25 lakh to 45 lakh from each VISA applicant for getting Schengen VISA from Embassy of France in New Delhi, it said.
CBI had registered a case against six persons including two, earlier working in Visa Department of Embassy of France in New Delhi and others on the allegations of Visa Fraud.
It was alleged that the two accused working in Visa Department of Embassy of France had conspired with others and perpetrated a visa fraud during the period from January 1, 2022 to May 6, 2022.
It was further alleged that in pursuance to the said conspiracy, applicants from Punjab and Jammu submitted fake and forged letters purportedly written by a private company based at Bengaluru to the Consulate General of France, Bengaluru for issuing Entry Visas, for their joining private companies in Port-Le-Havre, France.
On being approached by the applicants the said two officials in Visa Department of Embassy allegedly issued Entry Visas in favour of three other accused after taking alleged igratification of Rs 50 thousand per Visa, without the knowledge and approval of the Head of Visa Department, Embassy of France in New Delhi, the probe agency said.
It was also alleged that after issuance of Entry Visa, the said two officials displaced/destroyed the documents/files from the Visa Department.
It was further alleged that several files were allegedly handled by these accused which mostly pertained to individuals young farmers or unemployed people from Punjab who had not earlier travelled and that the accused had perpetrated fraud of huge amount in Visa Department of the Embassy, it said.
Searches were earlier conducted on December 16, last year at six locations including Delhi, Patiala, Gurdaspur and Jammu at the premises of accused.
