Mumbai: The Dadar police have booked three people, including a couple, for allegedly duping a husband and wife of Rs 17.9 lakh on the pretext of providing jobs in the UK. The police did not disclose the current professions of the complainants.
According to the FIR, the complainant, Nikita D’souza, 33, a resident of Prabhadevi and an employee of a private company, had previously worked in the UK with her husband, Lionel Dyel, for two years starting in 2019. The duo wished to return to the UK and came to know about Rondly Misquitta, who runs ‘Hopstone Consultancy’ in Andheri, from a relative.
In November 2021, Dyel approached Misquitta to inquire about UK visas and the latter said that his agency charges Rs 12 lakh plus GST per person. When Dyel said that both he and his wife needed visas and requested a lower amount, Misquitta offered to process both visas for Rs 18 lakh, said the FIR.
In January 2022, the couple emailed their documents to Misquitta, who then sent them the names of five UK companies on WhatsApp. He told the duo that the firms had reviewed their profiles and were willing to hire them, said the FIR, adding that the accused sought Rs 6 lakh to begin the visa process, which the duo paid.
Next month, Misquitta allegedly took Rs 5.9 lakh more, saying that one of the companies had begun the interview. On a similar pretext, the accused’s wife, Genevieve Lobo, asked for Rs 3 lakh, said the FIR. A few days later, Misquitta’s partner, Kith Fletcher, took another Rs 3 lakh for initiating the visa sponsorship process, said the FIR.
In this manner, the duo claimed to have paid Rs 17.90 lakh. The couple said that whenever they inquired about the jobs, the accused gave vague replies, prompting them to seek a refund. However, the accused returned only Rs 3 lakh, they said. A case has been filed against the trio under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 316(5) (criminal breach of trust) and 318(4) (cheating).
