Ahmedabad: Three members of a family have been allegedly cheated of Rs 23 lakh by four people who promised them work visas for Australia. In his complaint with Anandnagar police filed on Saturday, Rajendra Patel (44), a resident of Gota, stated that he came into contact with the accused — Vijay Dave and his son Arjun of Sola; Jay Brahmbhatt of Ghatlodia; and Vachika Salat from Paldi — in Oct 2024 while working as an electrician at Sola Civil Hospital. The group introduced themselves as visa consultants operating under the name “Aseema Overseas”, with an office near Shyamal Crossroads. Patel told police that the accused offered to arrange three-year Australian work permits with auto-renewal for him, his wife Hemali, and their 17-year-old daughter for Rs 83 lakh. Patel was later told that the visa process would be completed in Bangkok. Between Nov and Dec 2024, Patel paid additional amounts, including Rs 4.5 lakh in cash, foreign currency, and travel expenses, and undertook multiple trips to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Patel alleged that the accused kept extending timelines, demanded more money, and even withheld the family’s passports in Kuala Lumpur. The family paid Rs 8 lakh more for the passports and returned to Ahmedabad. Patel said the accused later handed over copies of fake Australian visitor visas and air tickets.
