Australian mission warns of visa scam in Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 20 : The Australian High Commission on Monday warned Indians of a visa scam in Delhi wherein over 50 people had been duped of lakhs of rupees.
"The public is warned of a new visa scam allegedly perpetrated by an employment agency operating in southwest Delhi," the High Commission said in a statement here.
"In recent weeks, more than 50 people have approached the High Commission after paying lakhs for work visas, only to be told that they have become victims of yet another visa scam."
Emphasising that the High Commission is concerned about the growing number of victims of such fraud and advising potential visa applicants to exercise due caution when agencies offer job visas, a commission spokesperson said: "Australia does not have a work visa programme of the sort promoted by scammers -- our Temporary Skills Shortage work visa is run only with approved sponsors, and only for applicants with specific skills in demand in Australia.
"Some of the recent victims have said they paid up to Rs 50,000 just for a non-existent airfare and a medical check with an unauthorised clinic, in addition to all the other fees they have been charged."
In addition to being charged for job placement -- sometimes with bogus job offers using the names of genuine, well-known companies in Australia -- and "visa lodgement" fees, the victims have also had to pay to undergo medical examination in a medical facility located in South Delhi, that is not associated with Australia's approved panel of physicians, according to the statement.
The southwest Delhi agency has also provided its victims with a fake visa grant notice, which links to a non-genuine visa checking service on a fake website.
"We have seen clones of our website before but the newest versions link to a fake visa checking site that only contains the visa details concocted by the agent," the High Commission spokesperson said.
"This may look convincing to someone who is wanting proof that the agent is not duping them -- but actually, it is still all fake."
Calling upon those who fell for this and other scams to promptly report this illegal activity to local authorities, the High Commission statement said: "All potential visa applicants should refer directly to information published on our official Home Affairs website: www.homeaffairs.gov.au.
"A list of approved physicians can be found at https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about/contact/offices-locations/india.
"The Australian High Commission website also has a page listing recent scams: http://india.highcommission.gov.au/ndli/Visas_and_Migration.html."
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Kolkata court to deliver judgement in rape-murder of RG Kar hospital doctor
Kolkata (PTI): The judgement in the brutal rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital here will be delivered later on Saturday.
Sanjay Roy, who was a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was charged with committing the crime on the postgraduate trainee at the state-run hospital in the northern part of the city on August 9 last year.
The judgement will be delivered by Anirban Das, the additional district and sessions judge of the Sealdah court, 57 days after the in-camera trial commenced on November 12.
The Kolkata Police, which was investigating the case initially arrested Roy on August 10, a day after the medic's body was recovered from the seminar room of the hospital. The Calcutta High Court later transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The in-camera trial in the rape and murder of the doctor commenced on November 12.
The hearing in Roy's trial was concluded on January 9, during which 50 witnesses were examined. The parents of the deceased doctor have claimed that other persons were involved in the crime and expected that they would also be arrested and tried before the court.
The victim's parents have also filed an application before the court seeking further investigation into the case.
The crime led to nationwide outrage and prolonged protests by junior doctors in Kolkata, demanding justice for the victim and adequate security arrangements in state-run hospitals.
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