The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a directive requiring a woman accused of overseas placement fraud to publicize the legal proceedings against her in at least five widely circulated newspapers in Punjab. This decision was taken in the case of Paramjit Kaur v. State of Punjab and Others, overseen by Justice Alok Jain, who passed the order on Tuesday.
Paramjit Kaur, the accused, petitioned the court for the quashing of a First Information Report (FIR) filed against her. The FIR charged her with cheating, criminal breach of trust, and violations under the Punjab Travel Professional (Regulations) Act. Her plea was based on a compromise she claimed to have reached. However, the court emphasized the gravity of the allegations, which included fraud in overseas placements, creating counterfeit documents, and visa processing malpractices. These issues have reportedly affected numerous individuals aspiring to settle abroad.
The court highlighted that Kaur’s involvement in multiple criminal cases necessitated a cautious approach. Justice Jain stated that public awareness of her criminal history was essential before considering her request to dismiss the FIR on grounds of compromise.
Consequently, the court instructed Kaur to disseminate a public notice detailing her name, address, contact information, and all FIRs registered against her, including the current one, through at least five newspapers in Punjab. Among these, a minimum of two newspapers must be in the Punjabi language. The notice must cover all cases involving allegations of fraudulent overseas placement, misrepresentation, or inducement using fake documents or visas. Additionally, it should include details of any cases resolved after reimbursing victims.
The court further ordered that the trial court’s assessment of the compromise in the present case would only proceed once copies of the newspaper publications were submitted as evidence.
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The case in question, filed in 2022, involved an accusation that Kaur charged a complainant ₹3.5 lakh for facilitating employment in Dubai as a heavy-duty driver, of which ₹1.82 lakh was allegedly received by her. Kaur refuted the claims, asserting that she was not a travel agent and that the funds were deposited in her account by a co-accused, Rakesh Kumar.
Earlier in May, Kaur sought the High Court’s intervention, suggesting the dispute was financial and had been resolved. Advocate Sandeep Sharma represented the petitioner, while AAG Amandeep Singh Samra appeared for the State. Advocate Manoj R Sharma represented other respondents.
