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Business Standard
12-06-2025
- Business Standard
Visa for Rs 45 lakh: CBI busts French Embassy racket preying on Punjabis
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed chargesheets against eight individuals involved in a high-stakes visa fraud operation under the guise of the French Embassy's visa department in New Delhi. The accused include a Local Law Officer from the embassy's visa department, his father, brother, wife, and four others, comprising two Punjab-based visa agents and two middlemen. The scam, which ran between January 2021 and May 2022, exploited the desperation of applicants from Punjab seeking Schengen visas, charging each between ₹13 lakh to ₹45 lakh in return for guaranteed visa approvals. The entire operation was orchestrated by Shubham Shokeen, a Local Law Officer in the Visa Department of the French Embassy in New Delhi. Objective of the scam: To illegally issue French (Schengen) visas to Indian nationals, mainly from Punjab, in exchange for huge sums of money — by misusing official powers and bypassing standard visa procedures. How the Scam Unfolded According to the CBI, the key accused—who held a sensitive role in the visa department—used his access to manipulate the system. In collusion with a network of visa agents, the officer allegedly processed visa applications in return for large sums of money. Once the visas were granted, all related documents were destroyed, effectively erasing any official trail. The agents, mainly operating out of Punjab, were responsible for collecting the money and routing it through various accounts. The funds were ultimately funneled to the officer and his immediate family members via two middlemen. How did it work? Target group: Visa aspirants from Punjab, eager to go to Europe. Bribe amounts: Applicants were charged between ₹13–45 lakh for guaranteed French visas. Inside job: The embassy's Local Law Officer exploited his position to approve visas. No trace left: Once the visas were granted, supporting documents were destroyed to eliminate evidence. Money trail: The bribe money flowed from visa agents → middlemen → officer's family, often routed through multiple bank accounts. CBI investigators discovered huge amounts of unaccounted cash, property documents worth crores, and assets held both in India and abroad, including locations in Delhi and Punjab. The money trail indicated a complex laundering network, implicating multiple players in what authorities described as a deep-rooted criminal conspiracy. In a significant milestone, this case also led to India's first-ever Interpol Silver Notice, issued through CBI's International Operations Division. The Silver Notice was used to help trace and freeze foreign assets linked to the crime—a first in Indian law enforcement history "A network of visa agents, mostly based in Punjab received money ranging from Rs.13 Lakh to Rs.45 Lakh from each visa applicant and in lieu 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. During investigation, huge amounts of cash and multiple documents relating to properties worth crores, acquired in India and abroad were found at various locations in Punjab and Delhi. Two accused Visa agents were the key co-conspirators who funneled the money through various bank accounts, which ultimately reached the accused Local Law Officer and his family members-Brother,Father and Wife through the two accused middlemen," CBI said in a statement. Who are the accused? Shubham Shokeen – Local Law Officer (main accused) Samunder Singh – Father Abhishek Shokeen – Brother Aarti Choudhary – Wife Balwinder Singh Bartia & Pritpal Singh – Visa agents Jashandeep Singh Sidhu & Bhawan Shokeen – Middlemen How big is this? This is not just another visa fraud. It's India's first case where a Silver Notice was issued through Interpol—a move that helps trace foreign assets acquired through crime. The case is also significant because it: Exposes embassy-level corruption Demonstrates CBI's growing global coordination What happens now? Trial in the CBI Court, New Delhi Continued investigation to trace international money trails Possible seizure of foreign assets
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
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.
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Former French embassy staff, kin charged in visa fraud case
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 money. The CBI is on the lookout for Shokeen, who is understood to have fled the country. A CBI spokesperson said: 'We have filed a chargesheet against Shubham Shokeen, his wife Aarti Choudhary, his father Samunder Singh and his brother Abhishek Shokeen, two visa agents: Balwinder Singh Bartia and Pritpal Singh, and two middlemen: Jashandeep Singh Sidhu and Bhawan Shokeen, before the CBI court in New Delhi.'
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Time of India
French Embassy Visa Scam: CBI charges law officer, 7 others
The CBI has filed a chargesheet against eight individuals, including a law officer in the Visa Department of the French Embassy in New Delhi, for visa fraud. They targeted applicants from Punjab seeking Schengen visas, extorting large sums of money through a network of visa agents. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against eight accused in a visa fraud case including a law officer in the Visa Department of the Embassy of Shubham Shokeen , the law officer, the charge sheet has been filed against his father, brother and wife. Also, two visa agents and two middlemen have been charge-sheeted by the agency, in a press statement released on Wednesday, said that the International Operations Division of CBI, on the basis of inputs of a visa fraud in the Embassy of France, New Delhi, had registered a case."During investigation, it was established that during the period of January, 2021 to May, 2022, while working as local law officer in Visa Department of the Embassy of France, New Delhi, the accused targeted applicants from Punjab seeking Schengen visas , through a network of visa agents and induced them to give huge amount of money for obtaining Schengen visas", the agency said in its press further said that a network of visa agents, mostly based in Punjab, allegedly received money ranging from ₹13 lakh to ₹45 lakhs from each visa applicant and in lieu 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 agency claims to have recovered large amounts of cash and multiple documents related to properties worth crores, acquired in India and abroad, from various locations in Punjab and Delhi. The CBI has alleged that two accused Visa agents were the key co-conspirators who funnelled the money through various bank accounts, which ultimately reached the accused local law officer, his kin through two accused order to trace the proceeds of crime abroad, the International Operations Division of CBI, in coordination with International Police Cooperation Unit of CBI were also successful in getting India's first Silver notice published in this case, the agency said. A silver notice is a new type of color-coded notice that focuses on tracing and recovering criminal assets globally.
New Indian Express
11-06-2025
- New Indian Express
CBI files charge sheet against eight accused in French Embassy visa fraud case
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday said it has filed a charge sheet against eight accused in a case linked to the French Embassy Visa fraud syndicate. The accused include a Local Law Officer in the Visa Department of the Embassy of France, his father, brother and wife, two visa agents and two middlemen. The charge sheet was filed before a special court here, as the CBI's International Operations Division had registered a case in this connection after the agency received inputs of a visa fraud in the Embassy of France, New Delhi, it said. A spokesperson of the CBI said, 'In the investigation, it was established that during the period between January, 2021 and May, 2022, while working as Local Law Officer in Visa Department of the Embassy of France, New Delhi, the accused targeted applicants from Punjab seeking Schengen visas, through a network of visa agents and induced them to give huge amount of money for obtaining Schengen visas.' Those who have been named in the charge sheet include Shubham Shokeen, the Local Law Officer, his brother Abhishek Shokeen, his father Samunder Singh, his wife Aarti Choudhary, visa agents Balwinder Singh Bartia and Pritpal Singh. The two middlemen are Jashandeep Singh Sidhu and Bhawan Shokeen, who are named in the charge sheet.
