Chandigarh-based immigration firm fined Rs1.8 lakh for failing to provide foreign work permits
Three people had paid over ₹12 lakh for work permits for Canada, Australia and New Zealand. However, no progress was made by the firm who did not even return their passports.
Only three days after city-based De Montreal Recruitment Abroad (P) Limited was penalised for ‘false dreams’ to a man who approached him to obtain a Canada work permit, the firm has been penalised in three more similar cases. It has now been fined ₹1.8 lakh for not providing work permit for Australia, New Zealand and again Canada respectively by a consumer forum here.
The three complainants were Barinder Singh of Ropar, Harsimran Singh of Ludhiana and Navdeep Singh of Yamunanagar. Barinder had paid ₹12.12 lakh for obtaining Australia work visa. He had also given his original passport and documents but after many visits was not given the visa. He had approached the police and got an FIR registered against the firm as well.
Harsimran had approached the firm for Canada work permit. He had paid ₹12 lakh and had given his original passport. As his matter lingered on, Harsimran also got an FIR registered and was not given a refund even after multiple pleadings.
Navdeep wanted New Zealand work permit and had paid ₹13.5 lakh to the firm for the same. He also got an FIR registered against the firm as it had taken its original passport and no progress was made in his case and his money was not refunded.
The firm did not appear in the court to contest the allegations and was proceeded against as ex-parte.
‘Unfair trade practices’
The forum in the three judgements made some common observations. The order reads, “It is established beyond all reasonable doubts that the complaint of the complainant is genuine as he has been made to run from pillar to post for no fault on his part.”
It added that the harassment suffered by the complainant is also writ large. “The opposite party has certainly and definitely indulged into unfair trade practice. Opposite party even did not bother to redress the grievance of the complainant, despite having approached for the same time and again”, reads the order.
The firm was directed to refund the amount that had been paid to it in all the three cases and pay a fine of ₹60,000 each to the complainants for harassment, unfair trade practices and litigation costs.
