Vadodara : A resident of Kandari village, Karjan taluka, has filed a police complaint against his nephew, sister, and niece, alleging a ₹2.70 crore fraud under the pretense of securing a Canada visa. The Karjan police have initiated an investigation into the matter.
The complaint, lodged by Darshan Vinodbhai Patel (resident of Swaminarayan Khadki, Karjan-Vadodara), outlines that he completed his ITI in Electrical studies. His mother resides in the USA, and after traveling to London on a study visa in 2009, he returned to India in 2014. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, his nephew managed to secure a study visa for Canada. Subsequently, his sister, Divyangini, informed him about the visitor work permit visa requirement for Canada, recommending her son, Dhruv Kumar Patel, who handled such processes.
Dhruv assured Darshan that he could secure the visa, prompting Darshan to pay both in cash and online installments for the visitor and work permit visas. During a family wedding, Dhruv, who had traveled from Canada, reiterated that the work permit visa process was almost complete. However, complications arose, and he suggested switching to a business visa, leading to more payments into various accounts.
Darshan received flight tickets via WhatsApp, showing a route from Delhi to Abu Dhabi and then to Toronto. Growing suspicious, he contacted the airline's customer care, only to discover that the tickets were fake. When confronted, Dhruv allegedly responded, "Don't worry about this ticket, I made it fake for embassy purposes."
Realizing the scam, Darshan demanded the closure of the visa process and a refund of the ₹2.70 crore he had paid. A formal complaint was filed against Dhruv Gaurangbhai Patel, Divyanginiben Gaurangbhai Patel, and Manaliben Deepakkumar Patel, all residents of Manjalpur, Vadodara.
The Karjan police have registered a case of fraud and are actively investigating the matter.
