Archive · 7 Nov 2025
Interstate Immigration Fraud Gang Busted in Panchkula, Mastermind Arrested
Imagine some people pretending to be travel agents who promise to help others go to faraway countries.
This group took money from over 100 people, sometimes charging as much as 14 lakh rupees, by promising fake plane tickets and visas.
One person who was supposed to go to Australia never got to go because the documents were fake.
The police caught three of these pretend agents, including the main person in charge.
They found a lot of stolen money, gold, diamonds, and even a fancy car.
These agents were very sneaky, using fake names and moving around a lot.
They even tricked about 80 people by calling them to the airport with fake papers, then disappearing.
The police are still looking for more people involved and trying to find out how they did it.
Panchkula police busted an interstate gang allegedly cheating over 100 people by promising to send them abroad.
Three accused, including the mastermind Sahil Sharma, were arrested, with recovered valuables including gold and diamonds worth Rs 1.25 crore and Rs 26.50 lakh in cash.
The gang operated across multiple states and had offices in Punjab and Haryana, using fraudulent bank accounts and SIM cards.
Mastermind Sahil Sharma is wanted in 26 cases and had previously been a proclaimed offender, having also declined a government teaching job to continue his fraudulent activities.
The gang deceived victims with fake tickets and passports, and in one instance, called nearly 80 people to Delhi Airport with false promises of travel to Australia.
- Who
- An interstate gang, including mastermind Sahil Sharma, Parmjeet Singh, and Ramanpreet Kaur
- What
- Busted for allegedly duping over 100 people on the pretext of sending them abroad; valuables worth crores and cash recovered.
- When
- Arrests made on October 24 and November 3; case registered on July 22.
- Where
- Panchkula; operations spanned multiple states including Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- To defraud individuals seeking to travel abroad by charging them large sums of money for fake travel arrangements.
Alleged Actions
Official Statements
Scope of Operations
Alleged Actions
The gang allegedly duped over 100 people and operated across Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, with offices in Ludhiana, Zirakpur, and Yamunanagar.
Official Statements
Police confirmed an interstate gang involved in immigration fraud has been busted, with operations across multiple states and detection of fraudulent bank accounts and transactions.
Victim Deception
Alleged Actions
The gang called nearly 80 people to Delhi Airport with fake tickets and passports on June 10, promising a flight to Australia, and then absconded.
Official Statements
The complainant alleged that travel agent Sahil Sharma posed as a travel agent promising to send his son to Australia and received Rs 14 lakh.
Accused's Background
Alleged Actions
Mastermind Sahil Sharma has an MBA degree, declined a teaching job with the Punjab government, is wanted in 26 cases, and was previously a proclaimed offender in six cases.
Official Statements
The accused, Sahil Sharma, was arrested from Jaipur and had admitted to frequently changing locations using multiple mobile phones and fake SIM cards, planning to expand his network.
- Number of Victims
- Over 100
- Arrested Accused
- 3 (including mastermind)
- Recovered Cash
- Rs 26.50 lakh
- Recovered Gold and Diamonds Value
- Rs 1.25 crore
- Recovered Items
- Luxury SUV, 12 mobile phones, 1 laptop, 25 ATM cards, 2 passports
- Mastermind's Aliases
- Sahil Sharma, Pradeep Singh
- States of Operation
- Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh
- Offices Operated
- Ludhiana (2), Zirakpur (1), Yamunanagar (1)
