Spots 
Delhi Police arrested Shantaram Barku Shelke for a visa fraud cheating 41 people. Shelke ran M/s SS Overseas Travels Agency issuing fake job offers and visas. Victims lost around Rs 40 lakh after responding to fake overseas job ads.
The Delhi Police has arrested the 'mastermind' of an alleged visa fraud conspiracy which cheated at least 41 people of around Rs 40 lakh on the pretext of overseas jobs, particularly in Russia and Israel, officials said on Monday.
The accused, Shantaram Barku Shelke, proprietor of Delhi-based M/s SS Overseas Travels Agency, allegedly issued dummy job offer letters, fake visas and air tickets to convince victims they had secured employment abroad.
Shelke was arrested from Nalasopara in Maharashtra's Palghar district after he allegedly evaded authorities by switching off his mobile phones and furnishing misleading addresses, police said.
According to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), the victims had responded to social media advertisements offering overseas employment. The accused and his associate Asif allegedly collected substantial amounts from them on the pretext of arranging visas and other formalities.
When the victims reached the airport to travel abroad, they were informed that the documents provided to them were fake.
The victims subsequently tried to contact the accused for clarification, but the accused allegedly switched off their mobile phones and abandoned the office, leaving victims in a lurch, officials said.
During investigation, police found that Shelke had opened an overseas employment office under the name M/s SS Overseas Travels Agency at Jawahar Park in Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi. He had also obtained a GST registration to give the business a legitimate appearance, police said.
The investigation found that a substantial portion of the alleged fraud proceeds was received in the firm's bank account as well as Shelke's personal account, officials said.
Statements of the victims, landlord and other witnesses were recorded, while mobile phone records, rent agreements, bank records and other documents were collected and analysed during the probe.
Delhi Police arrested Shantaram Barku Shelke for a visa fraud cheating 41 people.