2 travel agents booked for Rs 35L fraud

Ludhiana: Rural police have booked two travel agents for allegedly duping a man of Rs 35 lakh on the pretext of sending him abroad through a fake marriage arrangement. The case was registered on a complaint filed by Charanjit Singh, a resident of Ghunewal village.In his complaint, Charanjit Singh stated that Lakhvir Singh, a resident of Mullanpur, and his accomplice Reena Rani, who lives at Abuwal Road in the New Abadi Akalgarh area, worked as travel agents. According to him, Lakhvir also operated an office in Palika Bazaar, New Abadi Akalgarh.
Charanjit alleged that the accused assured him they could send him abroad through a marriage-based arrangement and demanded around Rs 45 lakh for the process. He paid Rs 35 lakh in advance, while the remaining Rs 10 lakh was to be handed over after he reached abroad.He alleged that the agents arranged his marriage with a girl he did not know. However, he claimed that after two years, he was neither sent abroad nor was his money returned. Instead, he alleged that the accused filed a case against him in court to harass him.Police said that a cheating case was registered against Lakhvir Singh and Reena Rani at Sudhar Police Station after preliminary investigations. SHO, Sudhar police station Gurdeep Singh said this is the third case registered against the accused. He added that two separate cases had earlier been lodged against the duo on the complaints of ASI Manohar Singh and Manvinder Singh. In those complaints, the accused allegedly cheated ASI Manohar Singh of Rs 33 lakh and Manvinder Singh of around Rs 6.5 lakh. The SHO said further investigation is underway.