A Mohali court has sentenced an immigration agent to three years of rigorous imprisonment in a Rs 19 lakh visa fraud case, holding her guilty of cheating and unauthorised immigration operations. (File Photo)A local court in Mohali has convicted an immigration agent in a visa fraud case and sentenced her to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1.02 lakh to be paid as compensation to the complainant.Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Anish Goyal held Chhavi Sharma, a resident of Chandigarh’s Sector 48, guilty under Section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 24 of the Immigration Act.According to the order, “The convict has been awarded three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh under IPC Section 420, along with one year of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000 under the Immigration Act.”According to the prosecution, a case was registered at the Mataur police station on January 18, 2024, in connection with an alleged fraud of Rs 19 lakh.In November 2022, the complainant approached Star Future Education and Immigration Services in Mohali’s Sector 70 to secure an Australian study visa for his daughter. The accused promised to arrange the visa within 90 days and collected nearly Rs 19 lakh in instalments.However, the visa process was neither completed within the stipulated time nor was the money refunded. After waiting for over a year, the complainant found the university’s offer letter provided by the accused to be fake, prompting him to approach the police.During the trial, the court observed that financial transactions and elements of cheating were clearly established through bank records and witness testimonies.Story continues below this ad“The evidence on record sufficiently proves the offence of cheating and unauthorised immigration activity,” the court noted.However, the court also remarked that the complainant failed to independently verify the authenticity of the offer letter from the concerned university.After evaluating the evidence and hearing both sides, the court acquitted the accused of charges related to forgery and criminal conspiracy, but held her guilty of cheating and operating without proper authorisation under the Immigration Act.”Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd