FIR lodged by ED made startling disclosures about notorious agent Nitish Ghai’s empire
The First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the Enforcement Directorate against notorious travel agent Nitish Ghai, a resident of the city, has made startling revelations about his fraudulent practices and assets gathered by the accused by looting the hard-earned money of foreign aspirants. A copy of the FIR is with The Tribune.
Ghai was involved in the illegal activity of dealing in ‘work visa’ without any licence issued under the Emigration Act, 1983, through his firms named Blessing Consultancy, Ludhiana, and GND Consultancy, Ludhiana, during 2015 to 2018. During investigation, it was disclosed that around 112 FIRs were registered by the Punjab Police at various police stations of Ludhiana and Jalandhar district against Ghai and his firms, on the basis of various complaints, which alleged that he collected money for providing ‘work visa’ but he failed to do the same, states the FIR lodged on the complaint of Assistant Director, Enforcement Directorate, Jalandhar, Rakesh Janghu. Most of these FIRs were quashed by the court on the basis of the fact that Ghai returned money to complainants and a compromised was reached between them. It proves that Ghai was indeed dealing in ‘work visa’ during 2015 to 2018 through his two firms.
“Further, during the course of investigation, Ghai was examined under the provisions of Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and in his statement recorded in 2021, he categorically stated that his firms were issued licences by the District Magistrate, Ludhiana, under the provisions of the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Rules, 2013, and he was not having any licences issued under the Emigration Act, 1983. The licenses issued by the District Magistrate were not valid to deal in ‘work visa’. Further, the suspect gave advertisement, claiming he deals in work permits by advertising himself as a recruitment agent to befool the foreign aspirants.
During investigation conducted under the provisions of PMLA, 2002, it was further revealed that bank accounts maintained by Ghai in his name and in the name of his firms were credited with several crores of rupees, which were collected in cash/online payments by him through his illegal dealing in ‘work visa’ during 2016 to 2018, the FIR states. “He has collected funds taken from the victims in guise of providing consultancy and were deposited in his personal accounts, instead of depositing the same into account of his constancy firms. Further, the bank account maintained by Ghai does not show any payments made by him to the complainants for the compromise effected and it is highly likely that these payments were made out of cash generated by him through the illegal activities. It was further disclosed that he had purchased numerous immovable properties, worth crores of rupees, in his name by using the proceeds generated from the illegal activities. The agent had declared a total income of Rs 22 lakh only for the period of 2015 to 2018,” adds the FIR.
Details of properties bought during 2015 to 2018
As per ED, properties purchased by Ghai during 2015 to 2018 include commercial property at Sherpur Kalan, Indra Colony, Ludhiana; residential property at Bhamian village; residential property at Abadi Punjabi Bagh, Mayapuri; 99 Visa Consultancy office, Ghumar Mandi; commercial property at Ayali Khurd village, Abadi South City; commercial property at Karabara, Abadi Krishna Nagar, near Gurdev Nagar; commercial property at Karabara, Abadi Krishna Nagar; and residential property at Victoria Colony, Ayali Khurd village in Ludhiana.
