Visa Fraud Scandal Unveiled: Cousins Accused of Duping Rs 41.75 Lakh

A visa consultant and his cousin in Hyderabad are under investigation for deceiving a businessman and others out of Rs 41.75 lakh. They promised US visas but delivered nothing. Despite collecting significant sums, the visas never materialized, prompting victims to contact authorities.

In a shocking turn of events, a visa consultant and his cousin from Hyderabad have been booked by the Gujarat Crime Investigation Department (CID) for allegedly cheating a businessman and several others out of Rs 41.75 lakh, promising them US visas, officials revealed on Tuesday.

The alleged scam spanned over a year, starting in March last year, with the First Information Report (FIR) filed on October 7 at the CID Crime police station. According to inspector D A Tadvi, Chintan Mission, a resident of Bapunagar, along with his cousin Sagar Mission, fraudulently took money from Savan Patel and others, pledging US tourist visas.

Chintan reportedly introduced a scheme claiming both he and his cousin could facilitate US tourist visas for Rs 4 lakh each. Believing his credentials, 19 of Patel's associates paid Rs 1 lakh each as an advance. Despite accumulating Rs 41.75 lakh in total and making numerous promises, no visas were secured, leading Patel and others to seek justice through CID intervention.

(With inputs from agencies.)