The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India has seized around €78,500 in cash linked to a visa fraud case at the French Embassy in New Delhi. The money was seized during a search of the home of a travel agent, Balwinder Singh Bartia, in Ludhiana, Punjab.
The CBI alleges that Bartia charged young farmers and jobless people in Punjab between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 45 lakh (€2,800 to €5,600) for Schengen visas issued by the French Embassy. He also arranged their flights to the United States from France within ten days of their arrival.
The CBI’s investigation has led to legal action against six individuals, including two former employees of the Visa Department at the French Embassy. The CBI alleges that these two individuals, along with others, fraudulently issued visas over four months, from January 1, 2022, to May 6, 2022.