More bank officials in CBI net

Arjun Raghunath
First Published : 14 Jun 2010 04:45:09 AM IST
Last Updated : 14 Jun 2010 11:17:31 AM IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed the involvement of more officials of three leading banks in the State in a student visa racket.

As many as four officials of Oriental Bank of Commerce, Andhra Bank and Syndicate Bank were found to have links with a racket that has been arranging student visas to foreign countries using fake documents.

Two officials of Indian Overseas Bank were, earlier, listed as accused in the case. A case was registered against them at the CBI court in Kochi in January.

According to highly placed sources, officials of the Kottayam branches of Oriental Bank and Syndicate Bank and Chengannur branch of Andhra Bank were listed as accused in the case recently.

Fresh cases were registered against them at the CBI court recently.

Several travel agents were also involved in the case, which is being probed by CBI Thiruvananthapuram branch.

Around 200 students were trapped by the racket by arranging student visas to foreign countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.

The racket was functioning with the support of certain fictitious educational institutions in foreign countries.

Youths were lured by the racketeers by making them believe that they could earn quite a decent income by taking up part-time jobs in foreign countries.

Each candidate would have to shell out a few lakh of rupees to get the visa, whereas it would come to around Rs 20 lakh for getting a student-visa through proper means.

While a section of candidates had knowingly availed the improper channel to get the student visa, many were trapped by the racket offering visa at cheap rates, said sources.