A young man from Moga, Punjab, was allegedly drugged, held captive in Kolkata, and extorted of Rs 22 lakh by his childhood friend, who had been living in Canada for two decades. The victim, Prabhjot Singh of Kapure village, had approached his friend, Amandeep Singh, for assistance in migrating abroad. Instead of facilitating his move, Amandeep Singh and his associates are accused of orchestrating a sophisticated fraud.
The Chenab Times has learned that Prabhjot Singh had sought help from Amandeep Singh, whom he had known since childhood, to fulfill his aspirations of moving to Canada. The victim’s father, Gurinder Singh, reportedly paid an initial sum of Rs 2 lakh to Amandeep Singh for visa and travel arrangements. However, instead of securing passage to Canada, Prabhjot Singh was misled and taken to Kolkata, where he was subsequently confined.
According to details available with The Chenab Times, during his captivity in Kolkata, Prabhjot Singh was allegedly heavily drugged by his captors. Under the influence of sedatives and duress, he was compelled to contact his family back in Moga. In a disoriented state, he informed them that he had successfully arrived in Canada and was doing well. Believing this fabricated account, the family transferred an additional Rs 20 lakh to the fraudsters, totaling Rs 22 lakh paid for the supposed immigration process.
The deceptive charade continued until the family’s subsequent attempts to communicate with Prabhjot Singh were met with unanswered calls. The illusion shattered when it became clear that Prabhjot had never left India and was, in fact, being held hostage in Kolkata by the friend they had placed their trust in. Following his return home and recounting the ordeal, Prabhjot Singh’s father filed a formal complaint with the Moga police, leading to the registration of a case against the accused.
The incident highlights a grave betrayal of trust and a meticulously planned criminal enterprise that preyed on a family’s hopes and aspirations. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to apprehend all individuals involved in the alleged abduction and extortion scheme. The case underscores the vulnerability of individuals seeking overseas opportunities and the lengths to which criminals may go to exploit such aspirations for financial gain.
The Chenab Times News Desk