The police have registered a criminal case against a Canada-based NRI woman and eight of her family members on charges of cheating, criminal intimidation and attempting to forcibly occupy property after her former husband alleged that he was duped of Rs 25 lakh on the pretext of taking him to Canada for greener pastures.
According to the police, the complainant, Manpreet Singh, a resident of Kalwanu village under the Ghagga police station, alleged that Gurpreet Kaur, an NRI residing in Canada, married him after promising to take him abroad.
He told the police that after the marriage, he applied for a Canadian visa, but his application was rejected by the embassy. He alleged that despite taking Rs 45 lakh from him, Gurpreet Kaur failed to take him to Canada.
He further alleged that due to social pressure, Gurpreet Kaur later agreed to divorce him and returned Rs 20 lakh as part of the settlement. However, after separation, instead of returning the remaining Rs 25 lakh, she and her family members allegedly started pressuring him to pay another Rs 20 lakh and allegedly blackmailed him.
The complainant also accused the woman and her family members of attempting to forcibly occupy his shop by putting up a lock and threatening him with defamatory allegations.
On the basis of the complaint, the police registered an FIR under Sections 308, 329(3), 356, 61(2), 351(2) (3), 190 and 62 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Ghagga Police Station against Gurpreet Kaur, her father Roop Singh, sister Simarpal Kaur, brother Harjinder Singh and others identified as Sukhwinder Singh, Om Prakash, Darshan Singh, Baljeet Singh and Jassi Hadtal, all residents of Dedhna village in Patiala district.
The police said further investigation in the case was in progress.
