CBI chargesheets French embassy official for arrange Schengen visas for Punjab applicants in return for money
The CBI has filed a chargesheet against Shubham Shokeen, a law officer in the visa department of the French embassy here, three of his family members and four others, for arranging Schengen visas for applicants from Punjab in return for a substantial amount of money.
The CBI is on the lookout for Shokeen, who is understood to have escaped from the country to evade the law.
The CBI found that Shokeen targeted applicants from Punjab seeking Schengen visas through a network of agents and induced them to give a huge amount of money for the travel documents.
'A network of visa agents, mostly based in Punjab received money ranging from ₹13 lakh to ₹45 lakh from each visa applicant and in return of these large sums of money, visa applications were processed by the accused and after issuance of Schengen visas, the accused destroyed the visa documents and files,' the CBI has alleged.
During its three-year investigation, the CBI coordinated with multiple agencies, including international organisations, to gather evidence in the case resulting in the charge sheet filed before a special CBI court here.
Shokeen amassed massive wealth in the form of cash and prime properties in Delhi and Punjab during his tenure in the French embassy between January 2021 and May 2022, the CBI alleged in the charge sheet filed before the additional chief judicial magistrate in the special CBI court.
'To trace the proceeds of crime abroad, the International Operations Division of CBI, in coordination with the International Police Cooperation Unit of CBI, were also successful in getting India's first Interpol Silver notice published in this case,' a CBI spokesperson said.
The agency found that visa agents Balwinder Singh Bartia and Pritpal Singh were the key co-conspirators who funnelled the money through various bank accounts, which ultimately reached Shokeen and his family members through two accused middlemen Jashandeep Singh Sidhu and Bhawan Shokeen, the charge sheet alleged.
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