Australian resident woman accused of ‘spouse visa betrayal’ in Ludhiana, kin charged with jewellery theft.

Ludhiana: Police have booked an Australia-based woman and seven of her relatives following allegations that they orchestrated a Rs 50-lakh wedding fraud and stole 200 g gold from the groom's family home.The case, registered by Sadar and Daba police, involves Navneet Kaur and her family, who are accused of exploiting a spouse visa arrangement before sabotaging the complainant's Australian permanent residency (PR) application. The complaint from Harpreet Singh of Lohara village suggests that his family spent about Rs 50 lakh on the wedding of his son, Navkiranjit Singh, to Navneet Kaur. Under the marriage agreement, Navneet Kaur was to facilitate Navkiranjit's relocation to Australia and include him in her PR application.
Theft and RetaliationThe relationship reportedly soured after Navneet Kaur's parents and relatives visited the complainant's home in India. Harpreet Singh alleges the visitors stole 200 g gold and other valuables during their stay. The theft triggered a confrontation in Australia when Navkiranjit questioned his wife about her family's actions. In an alleged act of retaliation, Navneet Kaur withdrew her husband's name as a spouse from their pending Australian PR file, leaving his immigration status in jeopardy. "The accused not only cheated us but also stole gold and other valuables from the house," Harpreet Singh stated in his police report.Legal ActionFollowing an inquiry into the complaint filed on Jan. 13, authorities have registered a first-information report (FIR) against eight individuals, including Navneet Kaur (currently in Australia), Teja Singh Nagra and Harpal Kaur Nagra (Naveeet Kaur's parents, based in Mohali), and five other relatives from Patiala and Sangrur.Investigating officer ASI Surinder Kumar has confirmed that the charges include criminal breach of trust (Section 406), cheating (Section 420), theft (Section 380), and criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B). No arrests have been made as the investigation continues.