ED gets FIR registered against notorious agent Ghai for duping visa aspirants

Notorious travel agent Nitish Ghai is again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Now, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had got registered a fresh FIR against him for duping gullible people of various districts in the state and even from other states across the country by offering them work visas in foreign countries. In lieu, the agent took huge money, which he used to amass properties worth crores of rupees.

A case under Sections 61(2) and 318(4) of the BNS and the Immigration Act was registered by the police Division 5 against the suspect. The case was registered on the complaint of Rakesh Janghu, Assistant Director, Enforcement Directorate, Jalandhar.

Station House Officer (SHO), Police Division 5, SI Balwant Singh, told The Tribune here on Sunday that ED officials had written to the Police Commissionerate, Ludhiana, for the registration of an FIR against Ghai.

The SHO said the ED had mentioned in the complaint that the agent had made nine properties and he had made these with the money of foreign job aspirants, whom he duped them on the pretext of sending them abroad. The ED also mentioned in the complaint that Ghai had also committed a fraud with the government by running illegal buisness of travel firms.

The SHO revealed that properties, including commercial ones, amassed by the suspect are located at Indira Colony, Ghumar Mandi, Gurdev Nagar, Mayapuri, Chandigarh road, etc. “Now, we will discuss the case with senior officials and only then, the police will pursue further to arrest the agent,” the SHO said.

Over 100 FIRs registered

against suspect in 2018

In 2018, over 100 FIRs related to travel fraud were registered against Ghai, his staff and family members by the then ADCP Surendra Lamba, which is a rare development in Punjab. Besides from residents of the state, Ghai also duped people of Haryana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, HP and J&K. Later, he was arrested and had got bail after spending considerable time in jail. Two of Ghai’s firms were mentioned in the list of illegal travel agents released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). A report on registration of 105 FIRs against the suspect was first carried in these columns. At present, some cases are under investigation in which the police are yet to complete probe while in most cases, the police have submitted challan. In many cases, compromise was reached reportedly by compensating victims of travel fraud.

Assets worth Rs 58 lakh attached in 2023

Assets worth Rs 58 lakh of the travel agent were attached as part of a money laundering probe linked to alleged cheating of people in the name of arranging work permit visas of different countries for them by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2023.