In an order that could act as a deterrent against rising immigration fraud, the Punjab and Haryana high court has directed a Jalandhar woman facing multiple criminal cases for immigration fraud to publish details of all FIRs against her in five newspapers.
Event Context
“Having considered the nature of the allegations, the material on record and the criminal antecedents of the petitioner, this court is of the view that allegations of fraud relating to overseas placement, preparation of fake documents and visas process, are serious in nature which impacted many innocent lives, who wish to settle abroad and paid hefty amount on such visa process. Moreover, the petitioner’s involvement in several other criminal cases cannot be dealt lightly. Therefore, before considering the prayer for quashing of the FIR on the basis of compromise, it is necessary that public is made aware of the petitioner’s antecedents,” the bench of justice Alok Jain observed, giving the petitioner 15 days to publish public notices.
The directions came while hearing a petition filed by Paramjeet Kaur, who had approached the high court on May 11 seeking quashing of an immigration fraud FIR registered by the Jalandhar police in September 2022.
Claiming that the parties concerned had arrived at a compromise, she sought quashing of the FIR.
The high court in May had directed all parties to appear before the trial court and record their statements regarding the compromise. Subsequently, it found that the matter involved only a partial compromise and that the petitioner was facing multiple immigration fraud FIRs.
Observing that the public should be informed about the petitioner’s antecedents, the court directed her to publish her name, address, contact details and particulars of all criminal cases against her, irrespective of whether the cases were pending, decided or quashed.
The notices should also mention cases involving allegations of fraudulent overseas placement, misrepresentation or inducement on the basis of fake documents or visas, as well as cases that had been settled after payment of the amount received from victims, the court ordered.
The court further directed that the notices be published in a font larger than six points, with at least two of the five notices appearing in Punjabi newspapers.
Team Analysis
Posting the matter for August 31, the court sought copies of the published notices and said it would thereafter consider the report regarding the compromise.
