New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested the ‘mastermind’ of an alleged visa fraud conspiracy which cheated at least 41 people of around Rs 40 lakh on the pretext of overseas jobs, particularly in Russia and Israel, officials said on Monday.
The accused, Shantaram Barku Shelke, proprietor of Delhi-based M/s SS Overseas Travels Agency, allegedly issued dummy job offer letters, fake visas and air tickets to convince victims they had secured employment abroad.
Shelke was arrested from Nalasopara in Maharashtra’s Palghar district after he allegedly evaded authorities by switching off his mobile phones and furnishing misleading addresses, police said.
According to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), the victims had responded to social media advertisements offering overseas employment. The accused and his associate Asif allegedly collected substantial amounts from them on the pretext of arranging visas and other formalities.
When the victims reached the airport to travel abroad, they were informed that the documents provided to them were fake.
The victims subsequently tried to contact the accused for clarification, but the accused allegedly switched off their mobile phones and abandoned the office, leaving victims in a lurch, officials said.
During investigation, police found that Shelke had opened an overseas employment office under the name M/s SS Overseas Travels Agency at Jawahar Park in Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi.
He had also obtained a GST registration to give the business a legitimate appearance, police said.
The investigation found that a substantial portion of the alleged fraud proceeds was received in the firm’s bank account as well as Shelke’s personal account, officials said.
Statements of the victims, landlord and other witnesses were recorded, while mobile phone records, rent agreements, bank records and other documents were collected and analysed during the probe.
Police said Shelke deliberately evaded police despite repeated field visits and local enquiries at his known addresses in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.
An arrest warrant was subsequently obtained against him. Technical, financial and documentary evidence, including bank and mobile records, was analysed and correlated to trace his movements, police said.
The accused was eventually tracked to Nalasopara, following which an EOW team reached there and arrested him.
He was produced before a court for remand, officials said.
Further investigation is underway and Shelke’s criminal antecedents are being verified, they added. PTI SSJ ARB
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