CHANDIGARH, July 29 — A criminal case has been registered against a city-based immigration firm, The High Visa Consultant, and its associates for allegedly cheating at least 10 individuals of over ₹53.89 lakh by promising them work visas for Australia under false pretenses.
The accused include Shiv Kumar, Neha Gautam, and others linked to the consultancy’s offices at SCO 105-106, Sector 17-B, and SCO 1096-1097, 2nd Floor, Sector 22-B. The case, registered on July 27, follows multiple complaints made via the Integrated Complaint Management System (ICMS) and is being investigated under Sections 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 24 of the Immigration Act.
One of the primary complainants, 34-year-old Manjinderpal Kaur from Gurdaspur, Punjab, said she was lured through an Instagram advertisement in February 2025. The ad offered caregiver visa services for Australia under Subclass 116.
“I was asked to pay ₹40,000 just for an interview, which turned out to be fake,” she said. The alleged interview was conducted by a person introduced as an immigration lawyer, later identified as Himanshu Gautam, who, according to the complaint, had no legal standing.
Kaur said she was then persuaded to transfer ₹6.80 lakh—40% of the supposed visa processing fee—into the firm’s bank account. She was given a fake, notarised agreement and a forged job offer letter via email. “I followed up for nearly two months but was constantly misled. Eventually, the firm stopped responding and removed their contact details entirely,” she added.
Police said preliminary investigations uncovered a coordinated racket with victims across Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. “We have evidence pointing to a structured fraud operation targeting aspirants seeking employment abroad,” said a police official involved in the investigation.
Authorities are now tracing the financial trail and verifying the identities of other victims. Further arrests are likely as the probe deepens.
