The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday said that it has filed a chargesheet in French Embassy Visa fraud case against 8 accused persons. This includes Local Law Officer in Visa Department of the Embassy of France, his father, brother and wife, two visa agents and two middle men. The chargesheet was filed before the CBI Court in New Delhi.
International Operations Division of CBI had registered the case on the basis of inputs of a visa fraud in the Embassy of France in New Delhi. During investigation, it was established that during the period of January, 2021 to May, 2022, while working as Local Law Officer in Visa Department of the Embassy of France, New Delhi, the accused targeted applicants from Punjab seeking Schengen visas, through a network of visa agents. The applicants were induced to give huge amount of money for obtaining Schengen visas.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet in French Embassy Visa fraud case against 8 accused including Local Law Officer in Visa Department of the Embassy of France, his Father, Brother and Wife, Two Visa Agents and Two Middle men before the CBI Court at… pic.twitter.com/xvdvC7CKRT
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As per CBI, a network of visa agents, mostly based in Punjab, received money ranging from Rs. 13 Lakh to Rs.45 Lakh from each visa applicant. In lieu of these large sums of money, visa applications were processed by the accused. Moreover, after issuing the Schengen visas, the accused destroyed the visa documents and files.
Notably, a Schengen visa is a short-stay visa that allows a person to travel to any of the 27 Schengen Area countries in Europe for up to 90 days within a 180-day period, for tourism, business, or transit purposes. It enables border-free travel across member states, which include most European Union nations and a few non-EU countries like Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland. Travelers only need one visa to move freely within the entire Schengen Zone, making it highly convenient for multi-country European trips.
During investigation, huge amounts of cash and multiple documents relating to properties worth crores in India and abroad were found at various locations in Punjab and Delhi. Two accused Visa agents were the key co-conspirators who funnelled the money through various bank accounts. The money ultimately reached the accused Local Law Officer and his family members, which included his brother, father and wife.
In order to trace the proceeds of crime in foreign countries, International Operations Division of CBI, in coordination with International Police Cooperation Unit of CBI, were also successful in getting India’s first Silver notice published in this case. CBI successfully coordinated with multiples agencies including international agencies to secure evidence in the case.
