4 booked on VFS complaint for cheating 28 Canada visa applicants

VFS, a trusted outsourcing company for foreign governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, is once again at the centre of a visa scandal. A case of forged Canadian visa appointment letters at VFS Ahmedabad has been uncovered.

Two employees, a former employee of VFS Global, and an unidentified person have been accused of allegedly forging Canadian visa appointment letters for 28 applicants and illegally registering their biometrics with VFS Ahmedabad. 

A complaint has been filed in Ahmedabad against the individuals involved. 

What happened? 

• On July 5, the Canadian High Commission informed VFS that they haven't provided any visa appointment letter from the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) office for the 20 applicants whose biometrics were registered for Canadian visas at VFS Ahmedabad. 

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• Applicants have to first go through the Canadian government's IRCC website, fill out the details, and upon receiving the visa appointment letters, register their biometrics at the VFS office. 
• However, the accused cheated the unsuspecting applicants saying that their application has moved forward and provided them with fake visa appointment letters. 
• The accused then registered the biometrics of the applicants at VFS office without authorisation. 
• The two accused VFS employees reportedly called the 28 applicants on different dates to enrol their biometrics. They took the applicants inside the office through different entry points to dodge security.   

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• The accused have been identified as employees, Sohil Dewan, Melvyn Christi, and a former employee Mehul Bharwad.  
• CCTV footage also showed Diwan and Christi filling in the biometrics when no one was present in the office. 
• According to PTI, Bharwad, who works for an immigration agent, offered the two VFS Global employees Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 per person to get their biometrics enrolled.  
• One of the applicants said he was unaware that the visa appointment letters were forged. He also revealed that he had paid Rs 15 lakh to the agent and he was demanding more. 

Just about a month ago, VFS security at its Delhi office had nabbed seven applicants who entered the office with forged visa appointment letters for Italy.  

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