Chandigarh emerges as centre for immigration frauds

Local firms involved in more than 100 complaints from region

Chandigarh, August 14Names of local immigration companies featuring in more than 100 complaints from different parts of the region has underlined the fact that immigration companies, under the garb of “consultancies”, have shifted their base to the city and Mohali from different parts of Punjab during the recent past.At least four local firms coming on the police radar for faking documents to facilitate illegal immigration, during the past one week alone, is just a tip of the iceberg, showcasing rampant public indulgence in wishing to travel abroad which is being cashed in on by the immigration firms.In fact, cases of fraud have come to light following a letter from the British Commission to the concerned police heads. A senior officer from Punjab said “The Embassy had rejected the cases under question with a clear note that the rejected cases could not apply for travelling to the UK for the next 10 years”.While the police is proceeding against the Healthyway Immigration Consultancy, Sector 42, here, following raids yesterday, names of three more local agents are under the scanner of the intelligence agencies.The bulk of the duped people belong to different parts of the region, mainly Punjab. Police sources confirmed that in an important shift, against the traditional rush from the Doaba belt, it was now people from the Malwa who topped the list constituting 80 per cent of the victims.More than 30 cases of fraud have been registered in the UT alone this year so far. Chandigarh SSP Naunihal Singh said the number would cross the 100 mark as “there are several complaints pending.” Besides the Healthyway, we are waiting for official letter on the three other reported cases and shall proceed accordingly”, he added.Sanjiv Gupta, ADGP (Crime), Punjab, confirmed an unspecified but a sizable number of cases under investigation. Gaurav Yadav, Commissioner (Jalandhar division), said “Following complaints, we had recently carried out a string of sting operations.” Rajpal Sandhu, SP (Jalandhar II), said the “agents were acting like consultants and befooled people when they came for seminars. In three different cases in Jalandhar, recently, the police has arrested four agents. More search operations are underway”.Talking to The Tribune, Jaswinder Singh, a resident of Karheri village in Patiala district, said “I paid a Rs 66,000 to the company out of which the company charged Rs 48,000 as the consultancy fees. I had to show Rs 11 lakh in my fixed deposit account. I was asked to visit a bank in Rajpura for documentation of the FD which the company manager said was managed. This was followed by a rejection letter from the British Embassy and the Chandigarh Police calling us for questioning. I have submitted an affidavit speaking about the fraud.”Mandeep Singh, a resident of Dhuri in Sangrur district, said “My wife Rubaljit Kaur’s case has been rejected with a clear instruction that we would not be considered for the next 10 years.”

Under Scanner Companies working under the name of “consultancies” At least four local firms under lens for faking documents to facilitate illegal immigration 30 cases of fraud have been registered in the UT this year so far Bulk of duped people belong to the Malwa belt of Punjab.

2 more cases against Healthyway 

Chandigarh, August 14

A day after a team of the UT Police raided the Sector 42-based office of Healthyway Immigration Consultancy and registered two separate cases of cheating against them, two more cases of cheating were registered against the company this evening.Sector 36 police station SHO Inspector Sukhbir Rana said two more clients of the company approached the police with their complaints of being duped by the company. A case under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC was registered.The travel agency, operating for the past 10 years, is in the dock for allegedly providing fake documents for obtaining visa in return for money.One of the fresh complainants, Avtar Singh of Patiala, alleged that he had applied for a visa through Healthyway Immigration Centre, Sector 42-C, Chandigarh, and had paid Rs 1.1 lakh to the company. However, neither was he sent abroad, nor did he get a refund.Another complainant Mandeep Singh of Samrala district, alleged that he paid Rs 1.75 lakh to the company on its promise of sending him to UK. He was also duped by the company.The SHO added that the company owner was absconding and raids were being conducted to nab him.A team of the UT police again visited the Sector 42 office of the company to check records. Sources said the Chandigarh police had decided to take the assistance of Punjab and Haryana police regarding all cases registered against the company at the Sector 36 police station.

Sec-34 immigration firm booked for fraud
Police acts after Kharar resident ‘duped’ of Rs 2.3 lakh

Chandigarh, August 14
Tightening its noose around “immigration companies” cheating people on the pretext of sending them abroad, the local police on Sunday registered a case against Scotch Education & Immigration Service, based in the Sector 34, following a complaint lodged by a Kharar resident claiming the firm duped him of Rs 2.3 lakh.
The police said the firm’s owners, Dhaliwal and Seema, were booked after Yaman Khan, a resident of Siswan village (Kharar), located in Mohali district, alleged the firm did not send him abroad even after he had paid Rs 2.3 lakh, nor had the firm return any of the money.
Sector-34 police station officer Kirpal Singh said the firm had promised the complainant he would be sent abroad on a work permit, but never made it clear where he would be sent. “The complainant stated that after repeated requests his money was not refunded following which he decided to file a compliant”, he added.
According to police officials, during preliminary investigations it was found the firm had not been registered and was operating illegally.
Kirpal further said after allegedly cheating the complainant the firm’s owners closed down their office a few months ago and had yet to be traced. “At present we’ve received only a single complaint against the firm. During our investigations we’ll be checking on other clients of the firm to establish whether there are more victims”, he said.
Sources close to the police said the addresses of the firm’s owners are being traced. Meanwhile, no arrests have been made in the case so far.
On the basis of the complaint a preliminary investigation was initiated and a case under section 420 (forgery) & 120 (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and section 24 of the Immigration Act, 1983 was filed against the firm’s owners at the Sector 34 police station.

Appointment by consumer panel upheld

Chandigarh, August 14In a significant order, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the appointment of a woman member of the Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, after holding that the selection committee’s decision to take into consideration her five years’ experience in home tuitions did not require interference.
In his petition placed before Justice Ritu Bahri, Dinesh Bagga had earlier sought directions for setting aside the appointment order dated December 29, 2009, of Amarpreet Sharma as “whole-time lady member”.
The petitioner had contended that eight woman candidates had appeared for the interview before the selection committee after the advertisement was issued on October 16, 2009. Among other things, the advertisement said the applicant should have an “experience of at least 10 years in dealing with problems relating to economics, law, commerce, accountancy, industry, public affairs or administration.” Appearing for the petitioner, counsel Atul Lakhanpal argued her appointment was not as per the qualification prescribed in the advertisement or under Section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act. Referring to her application, Lakhanpal said her teaching experience was shown to be of five years. Experience of another five years in giving tuitions was also mentioned in an attempt to show a total experience of 10 years.
Dismissing the petition, Justice Bahri ruled: “As per Section 16, apart from the educational qualification, the last condition is that the person should be of ability, integrity and standing and have adequate knowledge and experience of at least 10 years in dealing with problems relating to economics, law, commerce, accountancy, industry, public affairs or administration.

ਐਡਮਿੰਟਨ ਕਬੱਡੀ ਕੱਪ 7 ਨੂੰ

ਐਡਮਿੰਟਨ, 4 ਅਗਸਤ (ਲਾਟ ਭਿੰਡਰ)-ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਪੋਰਟਸ ਕਲਚਰਲ ਐਸੋਸੀਏਸ਼ਨ ਆਫ਼ ਅਲਬਰਟਾ ਅਤੇ ਚੜ੍ਹਦਾ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਕਬੱਡੀ ਕਲੱਬ 8ਵਾਂ ਐਡਮਿੰਟਨ ਕਬੱਡੀ ਕੱਪ ਐਡਮਿੰਟਨ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਦੇ ਉੱਤਰ ਹਿੱਸੇ ਵਿਚ ਉਚ ਪੱਧਰ 'ਤੇ ਕਰਵਾਇਆ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਵਿਚ ਉਚ ਚੋਟੀ ਕਬੱਡੀ ਟੀਮਾਂ ਦੇ ਖਿਡਾਰੀ ਭਾਗ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਕਲਾ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕਰਨਗੇ। ਕੱਪ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕਾਂ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਕਬੱਡੀ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ-ਨਾਲ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਲਈ ਸੱਭਿਆਚਾਰਕ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮ ਵੀ ਕਰਵਾਇਆ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਸਮਾਗਮ ਦੀਆਂ ਤਿਆਰੀਆਂ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਹਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਢੇਸੀ, ਅਵਤਾਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਮੋਹੀ, ਪਰਮਿੰਦਰ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ, ਜਸਵਿੰਦਰ ਆਲੀਵਾਲ, ਕੁਲਬੀਰ ਉਪਲ ਅਤੇ ਪੂਰੀ ਟੀਮ ਜੁਟੀ ਹੋਈ ਹੈ।

Sikh businessman in US shot dead

Jalandhar, May 20
An unidentified man gunned down a Sikh businessman, Balbir Singh Dhami, at his house in North Laguna Creek, California, US. The condition of his wife, who also sustained bullet injuries, is critical. Dhami belongs to Kala Bakra village in Jalandhar. The incident occurred at 10.20 am (IST) Thursday morning.
Dhami received two bullets and died on the spot. His wife Kuldeep Kaur tried to resist the attacker but a bullet fired by him pierced her abdomen.
The couple’s two daughters and a son were asleep on the first floor of the house when the incident occurred. His elder daughter Kiran Deep phoned the police for help.
The Sacramento police, claimed that the assailant was dark, short, thin with short hair and wore a yellow sweatshirt. He fled the crime scene in a gold-coloured vehicle. While the Punjabi community in California termed it a hate crime, Dhami’s family members claimed it was the handiwork of a contract killer.
A pall of gloom descended on Kala Bakra village, near here , following the news of Dhami’s death this morning. Relatives and neighbours began pouring into Dhami’s house to console his grief-stricken mother Resham Kaur who lost her elder son, Harbhajan Singh Dhami, barely 10 days ago.
She had applied for a visa to attend his last rites in the US. She had lost her husband last year.
Jarnail Singh , talking to The Tribune, said his cousins Balbir Singh and Harbhajan Singh , who were hardworking, had shifted to California 30 years ago and now had a flourishing business there.
They owned gas stations and were well-known transporters. “ Their deaths are shocking,” he added.
* His wife shot in the abdomen; struggling for life in hospital
* The couple belonged to Kala Bakra village near Jalandhar
* Their three kids sleeping on the first floor of the house escape unhurt
* Indian community terms it as hate crime
* Dhami’s family feels it is a case of contract killing

Rs 80 for 18-min Metro ride from N Delhi to IGI from today

February Wednesday 23, 2011

From Wednesday you can reach Indira Gandhi International Airport in just 18 minutes and for Rs 80. Finally, after missing several deadlines, the much awaited showcase airport metro expressline is going to open for commuters, especially those bound for the airport. However, the line will be formally

inaugurated later when all the promised facilities will be available.

This 23 km line - the first of its kind that was built on a PPP model in the country - will open for commuters at 2 pm from the New Delhi station. Till the two stations - Dhaula Kuan and Aerocity (NH8) - are opened, the metro train will stop only at Shivaji Stadium station.

As of now, commuters will not be able to use facilities such as baggage check-in and passenger handling - one of the main USPs of the service - as airlines haven't opened their counters at the metro stations.

Passenger check in facilities was proposed at New Delhi, Shivaji Stadium and Dhaula Kuan stations, while baggage handling was proposed at New Delhi and Shivaji Stadium stations.

Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd, a special purpose company of Reliance Infrastructure and the concessionaire company for the line, is though hopeful that the long pending issue will be sorted out soon.

Lalit Jalan, CEO of Reliance Infrastructure told Hindustan Times: "Matter is almost sorted out between DAMEPL and DIAL, with intervention of civil Aviation ministry, and soon the facilities will be available at the metro stations."

DAMEPL will also introduce a helpline for commuters' convenience. "The helpline number 30802080 will be active during the operation hours, from 6 am till 10 pm," said a DAMEPL spokesperson.

NRIs to get voting rights

 

Dehradun, February 18
With the Central Government bringing amendments to the Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules, 1960, the non-resident Indians (NRIs) of Uttarakahand will be able to vote whenever the Assembly elections are announced in the state.
Stating this at a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Radha Raturi said the NRIs who first get their names registered on the electoral rolls will now be able to vote according to the Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules, 2011.
“The voters will have to get their names registered at the place (residence) mentioned in their passport. Till now, no person could be on the voters' list if she/he was outside the country for more than six months at a stretch. But the news rules now allow NRIs, who fulfil certain criteria, to vote in elections in India,” she said.
She said the application could be submitted directly or sent by post. The process of verification will be carried out through Indian embassies located in different countries.

in brief

1.    Indians among 111 charged in major US healthcare fraud
At least six Indian-origin persons are among over 100 doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals arrested on charges of alleged involvement in a massive Medicare fraud estimated at $225 million.

2.    Working hard to help TVU students: US
The United States on Thursday said it was “working hard” to assist Indian students facing hardships after the closure of California-based Tri-Valley University and resolve the issue in “a fair and just manner”.

3.    Mahindra Satyam moves to settle US suit, to pay $125m
Mahindra Satyam, formerly known as Satyam Computer Services, today said it has agreed to pay $125 million to settle a putative class action suit filed against the company in a United States District