CBI has conducted searches at the premises of a private person (an Agent), based in Ludhiana, in an on-going investigation of a case related to visa fraud in the French embassy here.
“During search, incriminating material was recovered. A cash of approximately Rs 70.10 lakh (in denomination of Rs 2,000) was also recovered from a bank locker at Ludhiana,” the CBI said in a statement..
During investigation of the said case, involvement of one agent Balwinder Singh Bartia based at Machhiwara, Ludhiana in facilitating issuance of Schengen visas to the applicants also came to light, the agency alleged. It was alleged that he collected cash amounts ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 45 lakh from each visa applicant for getting Schengen visa from the French embassy here.
CBI had registered a case against six private persons including two who were earlier working in the visa department of the Embassy of France here and others on the allegations of fraud.
It was alleged that the two accused working in the visa department of the embassy conspired with others and perpetrated a visa fraud during the period from January 1, 2022 to May 6, 2022. It was further alleged that as part of 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 joining private companies in Port-Le-Havre, France.
On being approached by the applicants the said two officials in the Visa Department allegedly issued Entry Visas in favour of three other accused after taking illegal gratification at the rate of Rs 50,000 per visa, without the knowledge and approval of the Head of Visa Department, French embassy, New Delhi. It was also alleged that after issuance of Entry Visa, the said two officials displaced/destroyed the documents/files from the Visa Department.