Ludhiana police have uncovered a large-scale racket involved in providing forged educational degrees, work experience certificates, and inflated bank statements to individuals seeking to migrate to the United States. Seven individuals have been charged in connection with the fraudulent scheme, which was exposed following a complaint from the US Embassy. The accused allegedly charged applicants large sums of money for fake documents to enhance their US visa applications.


The racket came to light after Eric C. Molitors, an overseas criminal investigator at the Regional Security Office of the US Embassy in New Delhi, filed a complaint. The Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav, then ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. The SIT, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP, Investigation) Amandeep Singh Brar, initiated an investigation that led to the identification and charges against the accused.

Among those charged are Amandeep Singh from Chhatt village in Zirakpur, his wife Poonam Rani, Ankur Kohar from Central Green, Ludhiana, Akshay Sharma from Guru Gobind Singh Nagar, Bathinda, Kamaljot Kansal from Mohali, Rohit Bhalla from Friends Colony, Ludhiana, and Kirti Sood from Barnala. Three of the accused are residents of Ludhiana, while others hail from different regions of Punjab.

According to the police, the accused operated under the guise of visa consultants, using two firms—Red Leaf Immigration and Overseas Partner Education Consultants—to facilitate the fraudulent documentation process. The agents allegedly submitted false information on US visa applications to mislead the US Embassy and government officials.

The complaint highlighted five specific cases in which applicants submitted forged documents to bolster their visa applications. The individuals named in these cases are Simran Thakur from Himachal Pradesh, Lovely Kaur from Mansa, Harwinder Kaur from Jagraon, Ramneet Kaur from Nawanshahr, and Rahul Kumar from Haryana. The fraudulent documents included forged educational degrees, fabricated work experience certificates, and falsified bank balances meant to show that the applicants had sufficient funds to support themselves while in the United States.

One of the applicants, Simran Thakur, paid ₹2 lakh for a fake Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree. Another applicant, Lovely Kaur, paid ₹18,000 for a forged bank balance statement and a work experience certificate. These fake documents were meant to deceive US Embassy officials into believing the applicants met the financial and educational requirements necessary for obtaining a US visa.

The investigation further revealed that the accused operated small offices that facilitated the creation and issuance of the fake documents. Kirti Sood and Akshay Sharma were reportedly responsible for handling the production of forged educational certificates and work experience records. Meanwhile, Ankur Kohar, the owner of Rudra Consultancy Service, specialized in arranging fake bank balances to help applicants convince embassy officials that they had the necessary financial resources.

The police have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at Division Number 5 police station under sections 318(4) (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), as well as section 24 of the Immigration Act. The charges reflect the seriousness of the fraud, which aimed to manipulate visa processes by submitting fabricated documents.

Sub-Inspector Dharampal, who is leading the ongoing investigation, stated that the police have launched a manhunt to arrest the accused individuals. He added that this scam exploited vulnerable visa applicants who were desperate to migrate to the US, charging them large sums for fraudulent services.

The case has raised concerns about the prevalence of such fraudulent activities in the region, as well as the broader issue of visa fraud across India. Visa consultants offering fake documents have long been a problem, with many people falling victim to scams that promise easy migration opportunities in exchange for large payments.

The police are continuing their investigation and working to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the racket. The crackdown on this fraudulent operation is seen as a significant step towards addressing visa-related scams and protecting both the applicants and the integrity of international visa processes.