Rs 25 lakh 'coaching' for US visa interview, 4 nabbed

The US embassy in the capital has busted a racket which provided coaching and fake documents for Punjab-based unemployed youths to secure non-immigrant visas. It has emerged that the mastermind used to charge Rs 25-30 lakh if the visa was obtained, police said on Friday.

The racket was busted when four persons, including a women, appeared for a visa interview at the embassy in south Delhi’s Chanakyapuri on Wednesday.

Police said Sukhvinder Kaur, Gurpreet Singh, Gauravdeep Singh, and Vickramjeet Singh were arrested.

Sukhvinder told police that the mastermind of the racket Yashpal Arora had offered to pay for her trip to the US if she helped coach Gurpreet, Gauravdeep and Vickramjeet on how to present themselves as employees of Shear Style salon during the visa interview.

As part of the visa application process, they had submitted documents claiming to be working with Shear Style in Patiala.

Sukhvinder mentioned that she was employed as a marketing manager, Gurpreet as supervisor, Gauravdeep as assistant salon manager and Vickramjeet claimed to be an assistant. However, during the interview, Sukhvinder admitted that she was not working with the company and the documents were fake.

She along with her three accomplices were then handed over to police after questioning by the embassy officers conducting document fraud investigations.

Sukhvinder told police that she met Gurpreet, Gauravdeep and Vickramjeet when Yashpal brought them to her house in Patiala for coaching.

An initial police probe has confirmed that Yashpal has an office in Patiala and lives with his family at Old Mehar Singh Colony.

During questioning, Gurpreet told police that Yashpal had provided the fake employment letter, filled out his visa application and arranged for him to be coached as if he was an employee of Shear Style.

If the visa was obtained, Gurpreet would have paid Yashpal Rs 25 lakh. Gauravdeep was told to pay Rs 25-30 lakh, while Vickramjeet would have paid Rs 25 lakh.

A case under sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered over a complaint by the embassy’s assistant regional security officer with Chanakyapuri police station. 

The embassy has handed over the passports, copy of the visa applications, employment letters on Shear Style letterhead and fake bank statements.