Student duped by agent

The week-long vacation in Thailand turned sour for an aspiring medical student, when she realised that not only has she been duped of Rs 1.5 lakh, but has lost her passport as well

Student duped by agent

The week-long vacation in Thailand turned sour for an aspiring medical student, when she realised that not only has she been duped of Rs 1.5 lakh, but has lost her passport as well.u00a0The victim, Ravinder Kaur, a resident of Sunlight Colony in South East Delhi, was duped by a travel agent and her three accomplices.

In quandary: Ravinder Kaur, the victim, at her residence in New Delhi
on Sunday. PIC/Rajeev Tyagi

Last year, Kaur met a travel agent called Razia, expressing her wish to study abroad. Razia introduced her to three other people, Ashok Kumar Seth alias Ashok Kumar Gaddam, Reddy and Sunil Sharma. The trio met her at her residence and told her if she went to a foreign country, it will help her secure admission in a Canadian medical college.

Kaur and her mother then went to Thailand for a week. "They told me that showing a foreign trip is necessary for admission. Razia made all the arrangements and I spent a week with my mother in Thailand in February, 2010," said Kaur.

After her return, the accused took the victim's passport on the pretext of getting her a student visa. "Two months passed but nothing happened. They told me that the semester starts in January and we have enough time. They then demanded Rs 1.5 lakh, which we paid," said the victim.

In September, 2010, the travel agent assured Kaur that all arrangements for her admission have been done. "Then they started making vague excuses, such as because of the snowfall in Canada, the semester has been postponed," she said.

In February 2011, the agents asked Kaur to appear in a medical examination held by the Delhi Health Medical Care. The victim said she appeared for the test twice, and paid a huge fee each time. After that, Kaur asked the agent to return her passport and repay her money.

"They then threatened me and my family of dire consequences. Then the cell phone number they were using went off the grid and they have not been traced as yet. My passport is still in their possession," said Kaur.
Police have lodged an FIR in this regard. No arrests, however, have been made as yet.