Youth cheated of Rs 7 lakh

Promised a decent job in the UK High Commission, a city-based youth has been cheated of Rs 7 lakh by a person claiming to be an immigration commissioner. Adding to his woes, the victim was threatened by the 'official' to be falsely implicated in a criminal case, when he demanded that the amount he had paid for the job be returned.


Duped: Noor Pasha told Sayed Fakhruddin that he worked as an
immigration commissioner with the UK embassy before taking the money
from him to get him a visa. File Pic

Syed Fakhruddin Sharfuddin, who works for Teekays Diagnostic Centre in Shivajinagar was introduced to Noor Taren through his friend Saud. Taren said that his father was a British citizen and was working as immigration commissioner with the UK embassy for the past 12 years.

Claiming that his department was looking for employees, he asked Sharfuddin to apply. "I had spoken to Noor Pasha, his father last September, who came across as genuine. I told him that I was a diploma holder in ITI and he promised me a job with the Commission, on a salary of £40 an hour," said Sharfuddin.

However, for securing the job, Pasha gave Sharfuddin three options. First, pay Rs 25 lakh to get a UK citizenship, second, pay Rs 20 lakh and get a visa by marrying a British girl, or pay Rs 12 lakh to get a Canadian visa and the last was pay Rs 8 lakh and avail a work visa in the UK.

Sharfuddin agreed to the last option and paid Rs 7 lakh to Taren for a work visa and was told that the visa would arrive in 45 days, failing which the amount would be refunded. "I had no money, so I pledged my mother's gold and availed a loan against it, hoping to repay her once I got the job abroad. I received a courier on November 5th, which indicated that it came from the UK, but with a visit Visa."

"It also contained a filled-in form, with citizenship documents and a sponsorship letter from Pasha. When I informed Pasha that it was just a visit Visa, he convinced me to go ahead and I sent the application," added Sharfuddin. However, after verification and other procedures, he received a refusal letter from the embassy and never got the amount back.

"When I went seeking repayment of the amount, Taren threatened me with dire consequences and even threatened to foist a false murder case against me," Sharfuddin alleged. Unable to get the amount back, he has now registered a complaint of cheating with the RT Nagar police who have taken up the case but are yet to probe the matter.

"We have taken up a case of cheating and are verifying records to ascertain the facts. We would be contacting the high commission to verify whether Pasha is really working with the department," said PI CW Poovaiah.