The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet in the French Embassy visa fraud case against eight people, including a local law officer in the Visa Department of the embassy, his father, brother, and wife, two visa agents and as many middlemen in the CBI Court here, an official release said on Wednesday.

The investigation in the case established that during the period of January 2021 to May 2022, while working as local law officer in the Visa Department of the Embassy of France, New Delhi, the key 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.

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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, it said.

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 during the investigation.

Two accused visa agents were the key co-conspirators who funneled the money through various bank accounts, which ultimately reached the accused law officer and his family members through the two accused middlemen.

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 CBI successfully coordinated with multiple agencies including international agencies to secure evidence in the case.

The investigative agency is committed to tackle crime across international boundaries and help victims in India and abroad, who have been duped by such criminal networks.