A 28-year-old student from Ahmedabad was allegedly cheated of ₹6.5 lakh in a visa extension fraud while studying in the United Kingdom. The Crime Investigation Department (CID), Gandhinagar, has arrested a Vadodara-based tattoo artist in connection with the case, officials said.
The complainant, Sunilkumar Prajapati, a resident of Bansidhar Society near Rabari Colony in Amraiwadi, told investigators that he travelled to the UK on April 12, 2022, to pursue a Diploma in Business Management after completing Class 12. His student visa was set to expire on August 30, 2023.
According to the complaint, while studying in Wembley, London, Prajapati was introduced by a friend to Mitul Chavda, a tattoo artist from Vadodara, and his wife, Kritika Shah. The couple allegedly assured him of a three-month visa extension in return for ₹6.5 lakh.
Police said the accused kept postponing the process with various excuses as interview dates neared. The investigation revealed that forged documents and fake college certificates were allegedly created in the student’s name, even though he was not enrolled at those institutions.
After Prajapati realised he had been duped, the couple reportedly returned to India in June 2023, telling him they would return to the UK within a month. The student later came back to India and filed a complaint with CID Crime.
During questioning, Mitul Chavda reportedly told investigators that Kritika had married him after divorcing her first husband. Further inquiry revealed that after returning from the UK, Kritika divorced Chavda and later remarried another person.
CID Crime Police Inspector JV Rathod said Mitul Chavda has been arrested, and further investigation is underway.