Ahmedabad: A 22-year-old man on Tuesday lodged a complaint with Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) police alleging that a visa consultant cheated him of Rs 6 lakh after promising to arrange a Canadian work permit within three months. The complainant, a service engineer at a solar energy company, said he was looking for an agent to help him obtain a Canadian work visa when an acquaintance introduced him to an individual who ran a visa consultancy office in Sola.He met the consultant in Jan 2024, and the latter promised to arrange a Canadian work visa for him. The consultant quoted a fee of Rs 20 lakh and allegedly sought Rs 6 lakh as an advance, with the balance to be paid after the client reached Canada.After receiving Rs 6 lakh in cash on March 6, 2024, the consultant issued a receipt from his company’s receipt book and collected copies of the client’s passport and other documents. He then assured the client and his father that the visa would be arranged within three months.However, no visa was issued even after three months. When the client and his father contacted the accused, he requested more time, claiming that the medical examination and visa processing were still underway.When the client visited the consultant’s office around Sep 2024, he found it shut. The consultant also allegedly stopped responding to calls. The complainant said he repeatedly demanded a refund of the Rs 6 lakh but the money was not returned. He then submitted an application to Crime Branch and later filed a complaint.
