Mangalore: Visa Fraud - Man Dupes 27 from Kerala, Victims Approach Media

Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (BG)

Mangalore, Nov 30: A case of fraud wherein 27 people from Kerala were duped was brought to light by the victims themselves at a press meet here on Friday November 30.

Sudhakaran N S, one of the victims of the fraud, said that Shafi, director of Alfa Tours and Travels, Deralakatte had cheated him and others with a promise of giving them visa to work  abroad as staff nurses.

Shafi demanded Rs 1,80,000 for visa from each person, collecting Rs 45,000 as advance and another Rs 10,500 for certificate attestation. All the 27 paid him the said amount as advance payment and received an agreement copy for the same.

The persons came in touch with Shafi through a newspaper advertisement. Believing his work to be genuine, all the 27, who were already employed as nurses in different places, paid him the amount, in December 2011.

When they raised concerns about delay in the process, he directed them to submit their original documents like SSLC marks card, plus-2 marks card, and nursing diploma certificate, and accordingly, all of them did so in March 2012.

Shaffi then asked them for a fornight's time to carry out further procedures. When contacted on phone 15 days after the submission of original documents, he replied that their work would get done within two days.

However, he then started avoiding them, disconnecting their calls and reportedly behaved rudely. It was then that they realized they had been duped.

Shafi also allegedly claimed to have close contacts with higher police officials and high political influence, because of which he said he could not be touched. "Shafi also openly claimed that he had good contacts with ACP Jagannath," Sudhakaran said.

He further said that when the 27 persons approached the local police station, though their complaint was received, they were asked to produce original notary and agreement copies.

It is said that apart from these 27 persons, Shafi has looted hundreds of other gullible people in a similar way.

Adarsh A V, Veril V Kumar, Nishad and Sony Thomas were also present at the meet.