Punjabi Singer Nabbed for Role in US Immigration Fraud Scheme

A 42-year-old Punjabi singer has been detained for his alleged role in a scheme to send people to the US using fake visas, officials reported on Thursday. Fatehjit Singh, from Jalandhar in Punjab, was apprehended at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday. Authorities stated that Singh and other members of the racket were attempting to send a passenger to the US via an illegal route.

Deputy Commissioner of Police IGI Usha Rangnani revealed that during questioning, Singh admitted he had completed education up to Class 12 and worked as a singer. He also mentioned performing in shows worldwide. Singh came into contact with an agent named Sultan Singh, who deceived people by promising to send them to the US. Fatehjit began collaborating with him to make quick money.

Fake Visa Racket Uncovered

Fatehjit Singh disclosed that Gurpreet Singh approached Sultan Singh for assistance in travelling to the US. The accused assured Gurpreet of arranging his journey and handling all documentation for Rs 50 lakh. An advance payment of Rs 10 lakh was made before the trip, and Sultan Singh gave Rs 4 lakh to Fatehjit as his commission. The remaining amount was to be paid upon the passenger's arrival in the US.

The accused further revealed that he had attempted five times to send passengers to the US through various countries with Sultan Singh's help. However, none of these plans succeeded. In March, during their fifth attempt, they tried sending Gurpreet Singh via Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, Kazakh authorities caught Gurpreet and deported him back to India.

Authorities Take Action

Kazakhstan officials suspected Gurpreet was travelling on a fake visa because two pages of his passport were torn out. In a previous attempt, Gurpreet had been given a fake Brazilian visa but was deported from Qatar back to India. This time, Sultan Singh had removed two pages from Gurpreet's passport.

Gurpreet Singh was interrogated and arrested by Delhi Police at IGI airport in March. Following his arrest, Sultan Singh from Tarn Taran in Punjab was also detained in March, but Fatehjit Singh remained at large until now. The investigation is ongoing to uncover other agents involved in this racket.

The police are scrutinising Fatehjit Singh's bank accounts to determine if he is linked to other similar cases. The authorities aim to identify all individuals involved in this illegal operation and bring them to justice.

The case highlights the lengths some individuals will go to exploit others seeking better opportunities abroad. It also underscores the importance of vigilance by authorities in preventing such illegal activities.

This incident serves as a reminder for potential travellers to verify the legitimacy of agents and documentation before embarking on international journeys.