Fraud on pretext of sending people abroad rampant: Punjab & Haryana HC

While denying anticipatory bail to a woman, the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently observed that cases of cheating, duping and fraud on pretext of sending innocent people abroad are rampant in our society and are often adopted by fraudsters and unscrupulous persons.

The allegation against the woman was that she, in connivance with her son, cheated a couple and obtained more than Rs. 12 Lakhs from them on a false promise of sending them to France. 

While denying relief to the accused woman, the bench of Justice Ashok Kumar Verma remarked, "This has become a cakewalk to amass wealth illegally overnight which needs to be curbed with an iron hand to save the innocent people".

In the instant case, one Harpreet Singh filed a complaint against one Arshdeep Singh (son) and Sarabjit Kaur (mother) alleging that the mother-son duo agreed to send the complainant and his wife to France in a sum of Rs.17.00 lacs. Thereafter, the complainants transferred the money to the bank account of the accused woman but she started delaying the matter for one reason or the other. 

In her pre-arrest bail plea before the high court, the counsel for the accused woman argued that she was being dragged in the present case without any connecting evidence against her.

The counsel submitted that the woman was implicated in the case only on the basis that the amount was transferred to her son's account and since there was nothing to be recovered from her, no custodial interrogation was required.

On the other hand, the counsel for the State, assisted by the counsel for the complainant, submitted that in the FIR, there was specific allegation against the woman that after the transfer of Rs.8.00 lakhs from the account of the complainant into her son's account, the woman called the complainant at his home and gave the photocopy of the visa and demanded Rs.4.00 lakhs on the pretext of getting the ticket issued.

The counsel further apprised the court that the accused woman and her son defrauded the complainant to the tune of Rs.12,35,000/-. Stating that the investigation was at initial stage and recovery was yet to be effected from the accused persons, the state counsel pressed for woman's custodial interrogation.

Court found that there were serious allegations of cheating and fraud against the woman and there was her prima facie involvement in the commission of offence. Therefore, court held the matter not fit for grant of concession of anticipatory bail to the woman. 

Case Title: Sarabjit Kaur v. State of Punjab