Colleague, husband cheat Ahmedabad man of Rs 25 lakh with UK visa promise

A man in Ahmedabad was cheated of Rs 24.75 lakh by a woman he befriended from his office and her husband, who promised to arrange a UK visa with a work permit for him.The woman, Nikita Soni, gained the victim Nipam's trust by claiming that her husband, Raj Soni, lived in the UK and could help him secure a visa. However, the visa never materialised, according to his police complaint.Nipam, who works for a private company, became friends with Nikita in 2021. During their conversations, she told him that her husband lived in the UK and that she planned to join him there after her visa was approved.In 2022, Nikita informed Nipam that her visa had been approved and encouraged him to apply for one, assuring him that her husband would help with the process. Nipam subsequently discussed the proposal with his wife and decided to pursue a UK visa. In 2023, Nikita offered to arrange a UK visa with a work permit for Rs 25 lakh, promising to refund the money if the visa was not approved. She later returned to the UK and contacted Nipam, assuring him that she could secure the visa if he paid the amount.As Nipam could not arrange the entire sum at once, he agreed to pay in instalments. He initially transferred Rs 1 lakh and paid the remaining Rs 23.75 lakh over the following year. During the process, Nipam also attended an interview via Zoom and received a job letter from a visa intermediary, BUPA. However, despite repeated requests, he did not receive the visa. He also failed to recover his money, following which he approached the police.Based on his complaint, the Sola police registered a case against Raj Soni and Nikita Soni under relevant sections pertaining to cheating and criminal breach of trust.Police are examining the accused's bank accounts and documents related to the visa process as part of the investigation.- Ends