The local police have apprehended an Ahmedabad-based agent, Saurabh Madhuvarshini, for defrauding a Vadodara youth of Rs 14.45 lakh under the pretense of facilitating his move abroad.
The victim, Dhruv Patel, a 23-year-old diploma holder from Vadodara, was allegedly duped by Madhuvarshini and his accomplice, Rohit, a Kolkata-based agent. The duo reportedly extorted money from Patel by sending him counterfeit call letters of work permits for Canada, New Zealand and the UAE.
The police investigation has unearthed that Madhuvarshini was operating a fraudulent visa consultancy in the Khokhra area, where he deceived numerous individuals. Several complaints of land fraud and visa fraud have been lodged against him.
Patel, who aspired to work overseas after completing his diploma, was introduced to Madhuvarshini in 2023 through a contact, Shaileshbhai Patel, whom he met at a Swaminarayan temple in Vadodara. Initially expressing a desire to move to the UK, Patel was misled by Madhuvarshini into believing that a Canadian work visa was more attainable.
Subsequently, Patel transferred Rs 75,000 online from his father’s account in June 2023, followed by additional payments totaling Rs 14.45 lakh to various account numbers provided by Madhuvarshini and his partner. The duo later sent Patel a passport devoid of any stamping via courier.
The scam also implicates an agent named Rohit Kumar from Kolkata. The Khokhra police, probing the involvement of agents from Kolkata and Delhi, have secured a 10-day remand of the accused Madhuvarshini for further questioning.
