Will visa firms’ registration be mandatory?

The next time you walk into a visa consultancy agency, you won't have to worry whether you will be duped or not. The police department is contemplating compulsory registration of all visa consultancy firms in Ahmedabad.

Sources in the department said that a proposal in this regard has already been sent to the office of the Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Sector-1. Confirming the move, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone-1, Brijeshkumar Jha told DNA, "There are two benefits of such registration. Firstly, people who avail services of such firms will be sure of the credentials of the firm and secondly, nobody can cheat people in the name of offering visas."

The move comes in the wake of the recent visa scam in which a fraudster Chetan Mehta fled after duping many people by promising them jobs in Dubai. Sources said that Mehta's identity was fake. A police official said, "We have found that the passport said to be that of Chetan Mehta is fake. However, the photos of the person are original."  A senior police official said, "We know the real identity of Mehta but his whereabouts are yet to be ascertained," adding that the registration plan was floated to keep a tab on people like Mehta.