Ahmedabad Trader Cheated of Rs 3.1 Crore in EB-5 Visa Scam |

Ahmedabad: A businessman from the city’s Ranip area was allegedly cheated of Rs 3.10 crore by two men who promised to help him make a EB-5 visa.
Yogesh Patel, 61, a resident of Devmandir Society in Ranip, has applied complaint about cheating with the Detection of Crime Branch police against Vikram Vaghela, a resident of Bhagyodaya Society in Ranip, and Mohit Shah, a resident of Luv-Kush Apartments in Thaltej.
The two suspects run a company in the US.
The EB-5 visa, also known as the employment-based fifth preference visa, allows investors and their families to apply for permanent residency in the US. Once an individual obtains an EB-5 visa, he has the right to live, work and study anywhere in the US and access the country’s education system.
According to the complaint, Patel, a cement trader, had met Vaghela and Shah in 2014. They told Patel they would help him obtain an EB-5 visa if he invested in their U.S. company. Patel said he signed a pact with them on June 1, 2014 and paid Rs 3.10 crore between June 10, 2014 and January 13, 2015.
As per the pact, Shah and Vaghela had to repay Rs 7 crore on his investment by July 25, 2017. Patel provided all necessary documents to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before December 19, 2016.
The FIR states that Shah and Vaghela promised to help him obtain an EB-5 visa without delay. On April 26, 2019, Patel received a letter from the USCIS stating that his visa file had been rejected.
Patel alleged that Shah and Vaghela had not returned his money or the Rs 7 crore promised by them. Patel approached the Economic Crimes Wing of DCB and filed a complaint for breach of trust, cheating and instigating Shah and Vaghela.