Wives sent abroad for spouse visa dump Punjabi grooms back home
Around 30 such men have approached an NGO and police to seek help in suspending passports of their wives
MOGA: In the craze for settling abroad and earning in foreign currency, young Punjabi grooms are ending up being cheated and abandoned by their wives on whom they spent lakhs of rupees to send abroad on study visa, in the hope of getting a spouse visa later.
Around 30 such men have now approached an NGO named ‘Abbnhi Welfare Society’ in the district, and also the police, to seek help in suspending passports of their wives. Some of them have managed to get FIRS registered against them.
These men sponsored expensive education of their wives, who had scored the required band on The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and also had the profile to match their desired country’s specification. The men, or their families, also paid a hefty fee on procuring a study visa for the women. The men’s wait for a spouse visa, however, has stretched indefinitely. Their wives have not contacted them since leaving, in some cases for over a couple of years.
Satwinder Kaur, who runs the NGO, said usually women approached them as victims and just a week ago, they have started helping grooms. “These grooms had spent between Rs 17 lakh and Rs 35 lakh on study, visa filing process and other expenditure for their wives. They have lost the money and the visa is unlikely,” she added.
Harwinder Singh, 21, of Ferozepur, said, “I got married to a Ludhiana-based girl on January 15, 2018. I had spent at least Rs 35 lakh on her admission in Canada and other expenditure. Later, she started fighting and arguing with me on minor issues. In July 2019, I heard that my wife is staying with another person in a live-in relationship in Brampton. I lodged a complaint against her and a case of cheating was registered at the Ghall Khurad police station on February
3, 2020.”
Ghall Khurd police station SHO Judgepal Singu said: “The victim’s wife is living in Canada and we cannot take action against her here. But we have filed a chargesheet against her in the local court.”
Jaswinder Singh, 27, of Barnala, said in his complaint, “When I did not find any government job here, despite being masters in political science and holding a B.pharmacy degree, I decided to go to Canada. I married a Moga-based girl with 6.5 band in IELTS in 2019. I spent Rs 18 lakh on sending her to Canada on a study visa. After reaching Montreal, she stopped contacting me. I have lodged a complaint against her with the district police.” Jaswinder said even before approaching the NGO, he met other victims so as to bring them on common platform to get justice.
Kripa Shankar Saroj, additional chief secretary, NRI affairs, said, “In most incidents, women get cheated by their NRI husbands. There is no specific policy for grooms who have been cheated by their wives. All such grooms who have been cheated can contact the department or me. We will help them.”
There is no specific policy for grooms who have been cheated by their wives. But they can contact the department or me. We will help them. KRIPA SHANKAR SAROJ, addl chief secretary, NRI affairs