Chandigarh: Amritsar man acquitted in 8-year-old immigration fraud case
An eight-year-old immigration fraud case fell apart in a local court on Saturday, resulting in the acquittal of Gurvinder Singh, alias Garry.
Judicial magistrate first class Parmod Kumar ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a connection between Gurvinder; a resident of Wajan Wala village in Ajnala, Amritsar; and the alleged crime, citing the fundamental principle that guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Complainant never met the accused
The case, registered in 2017, stemmed from a complaint filed by Sheenu of New Delhi. She alleged that Aseem Vij, Rashmi Rana, and Ashish Goyal lured her and her husband with promises of lucrative jobs and permanent residency in Singapore. The scheme involved a payment of ₹25 lakhs, after which Sheenu received documents from BNL Services Pvt Ltd, purportedly offering her an operations manager position with a $4,500 monthly salary.
Upon arrival in Singapore, Sheenu discovered she was expected to work as a bathroom cleaner. When she confronted Aseem Vij, he allegedly threatened her. She immediately returned to India and filed a complaint, leading to charges under Sections 420, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 24 of the Immigration Act.
During the trial, defence counsel Terminder Singh pointed out that Gurvinder’s name was absent from the initial complaint. “When Sheenu, the complainant, testified, she admitted in cross-examination that there were no allegations against Gurvinder and that she had never met him,” he stated. This admission undermined the prosecution’s case against him.
“There is no incriminating evidence on the record against the accused,” the court remarked, emphasising the prosecution’s failure to meet the required standard of proof.
The court noted that Aseem Vij and Rashmi Rana had been declared proclaimed offenders, and Ashish Goyal was acquitted in a separate order in 2023. The investigation involved the seizure of bank records from Punjab National Bank, IDBI Bank, and HDFC Bank. Despite these efforts, the prosecution failed to establish a direct link between Gurvinder Singh and the fraudulent activities, resulting in his acquittal.
