A 35-year-old homemaker from Ambawadi has lodged a police complaint against two Ahmedabad-based visa agents, accusing them of defrauding her and her husband of ₹5 lakh under the false promise of securing a Canadian work permit.
According to a media report, FIR registered at Navrangpura Police Station on Friday, the complainant, Megha Trivedi, said that in April 2021, she and her husband, Kandarp Trivedi — an employee at GNFC — were introduced to the accused through a former neighbour. The accused, Kushal Patel and Upaben Patel, run Keshavam International, a visa consultancy firm located in Commerce Six Complex, opposite Samved Hospital.
The duo assured the Trivedis that they could arrange Canadian work permits within six months, quoting a total fee of ₹20 lakh. Trusting their claims, the couple submitted essential documents and made an initial payment of ₹3.5 lakh via online transfer from Kandarp’s HDFC Bank account to a Dutch Bank account held by Kushal Patel. They later paid an additional ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh, bringing the total to ₹5 lakh.
The Patels later claimed a nomination letter was on its way and asked for more funds, but failed to provide written confirmation. Eventually, they sent an email assuring that the letter would arrive within a month and promised a refund if it didn’t.
When the letter never arrived, Megha demanded a refund. The accused issued three post-dated cheques worth ₹3.5 lakh, but all were dishonoured between October 21 and 24, 2024. After that, they stopped responding to calls and messages.
Megha then approached the police. A case of cheating and criminal breach of trust has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities are also investigating if the consultancy has scammed other applicants.