Promised Canadian PR, Rs 1.8 crore gone: How Delhi couple was scammed

Richa and Prem Ahuja were a successful Delhi couple in their early 30s, running a profitable distribution business for Cafe Coffee Day. They lived in South Delhi’s upscale Malviya Nagar, had built a comfortable life, and were raising a young daughter.

Around 2019, they began exploring the possibility of getting a Permanent Residency (PR) in Canada. It wasn’t a decision born out of financial distress. They simply wanted a fresh start in a new country.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Richa, 30, said, “It was not as if we were in some financial trouble or something. We had a good life here as well. But I craved a fresh start. My daughter was born in 2019. And I just wanted to move away from the pollution and all.”

But then the Covid-19 pandemic struck, and international travel came to a standstill as countries shut their borders. Their plan was put on hold.

In 2021, as restrictions began easing, they revived their dream of moving abroad. Their business had taken a hit during the pandemic, and they saw an opportunity to begin anew.

In February of that year, Richa and Prem, 32, arrived at the office of GIES Immigration Inc in East Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar, where they met one Dharmendra Sharma. “I asked him frankly how much time it was going to take. He said years. So I asked what’s the shortest way to get in. And he said PR,” said Richa.

Five years later, however, the couple remain in their Malviya Nagar apartment. They were allegedly conned of Rs 1.8 crore, investing in a restaurant in Canada, in what police describe as an elaborate immigration-linked fraud.

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On Richa’s complaint, Delhi Police registered an FIR. Following an investigation, they arrested Dharmendra last month.

The PR trap

Police said GIES Immigration, a Nysa Group offshoot, helps clients settle abroad through work visas and permanent residency programmes. The couple were interested in the latter. Police said Dharmendra, listed on Nysa’s website as Director, Canada Immigration, told the Ahujas that a Canadian PR would take time because of pandemic-related delays, but assured them they would eventually succeed if they remained patient.

According to the FIR, Richa was willing to wait two to three years if necessary. “Dharmendra said I needed to own a business in Canada to bolster my chances for a PR. Initially, he said it could be in any city I wanted. By then, I had already paid about 30,000 CAD (Canadian dollars) in service fees in multiple installments,” she told The Indian Express.

One of the fastest routes to a Canadian PR, according to CanadaVisa.com, is to own a business or startup in the country which will generate employment. The website states that successful applicants are to link with private sector organisations in Canada, where they can receive funding, guidance and expertise in opening and operating their enterprise.

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Police said Dharmendra and GIES’s Canada-based representative, Gaurav Verma, advised the couple to establish a Canadian company that would employ local residents, strengthening their immigration application. Acting on that advice, the Ahujas incorporated Aadya Hospitality, named after their daughter.

As per the FIR, the company was to acquire a restaurant named Gong’s Grill on Brady Street in Sudbury, Ontario. The restaurant was owned by Cuzak Hospitality, run by local businessman Dan Cuzak, the FIR stated.

“Dharmendra introduced me to Cuzak. We had multiple meetings on Zoom,” said Richa. “My husband and I could see that the restaurant’s books were off. It seemed to be running at a loss. But my husband felt we could turn it around. Our main objective was to get to Canada, so we negotiated a deal,” she said.

Under the proposed arrangement, the FIR stated, the Ahujas would pay 250,000 CAD (approximately Rs 1.73 crore) to acquire the restaurant. The money was deposited into a bank account in Canada. Cuzak, in turn, was expected to reinvest 50% of the amount into Aadya Hospitality and become a partner in the venture.

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The deal would give the Ahujas the ‘private-sector link’ required for their immigration application and a foothold in the country with an up-and-running restaurant.

“The documents relating to these transactions were overseen by a Canadian law firm, but were not shared with the Ahujas. Once the process was completed, an application was submitted to the Canadian embassy,” said a police officer.

Richa said Dharmendra then assured them that it was only a matter of months before they received either permanent residency or, at the very least, a work visa. “All this while he had been assuring us of a PR. Then he said we would get a work visa. We were disheartened… but I said fine. He asked us to fill out some forms and, at the start of 2022, told us the visa would come in 10 days,” Richa said.

But it didn’t.

Dharmendra became increasingly difficult to reach. Whenever Richa sought updates, she claimed, his receptionist would tell her how busy he was.

Then, on July 6, 2022, they got the bad news.

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According to the FIR, the couple’s application was rejected by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Gaurav Verma allegedly told them there must have been a mix-up and filed a reconsideration request on July 12. That application was also rejected.

The FIR states that another application was submitted to IRCC on January 28, 2023, but it too was denied. Dejected, the Ahujas finally sought a refund on May 17 of that year, requesting the return of the 250,000 CAD invested with Cuzak, as well as the 45,000 CAD (around Rs 30 lakh) paid to GIES for immigration services.

“But Cuzak said he will return my money after he managed to sell my share in Aadya Hospitality to someone else. That was not part of the contract. I was supposed to receive the money back as soon as possible if the work permit did not come through,” Richa stated in the FIR.

In September 2024, Richa filed a complaint against Dharmendra and Gaurav Verma, and GIES. The case was taken up by the Crime Branch.

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Scam uncovered

When Crime Branch officials approached the Canadian Embassy, they discovered the reason behind the repeated rejections. According to the embassy’s verification, officers said, Aadya Hospitality had only one director — Dan Cuzak. The Ahuja’s names did not appear in the company’s records, a police officer said.

“Additionally, the funds transferred by the Ahuja’s were withdrawn almost immediately, leaving the company’s Royal Bank account empty,” another officer said.

Police said it was an elaborate scam. “To gain the complainant’s confidence, Dharmendra and Gaurav Verma allegedly created documents showing that she (Richa) would become a director/shareholder in a Canadian hospitality company. However, investigation revealed that she was never inducted as either a shareholder or director, and ownership remained with other individuals,” officers said.

“It was further revealed that after receiving the funds in foreign bank accounts, the accused allegedly siphoned off the money through cash withdrawals, debit transactions and transfers routed through multiple accounts instead of using it for legitimate business purposes,” said DCP (Crime) Aditya Gautam.

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On May 16, 2026, after reviewing financial records and documentation related to the transactions and verifying information with Canadian authorities, Delhi Police arrested Dharmendra.

A police officer said he hails from Dera Bassi in Punjab, studied at NIMS in Mumbai, spent several years in the United States, and joined GIES in 2020 after returning to India. “His wife is a professor… he previously worked as a vice-president at an admission firm in the United States,” the officer said.

Another senior police officer said a Look Out Circular (LOC) has also been issued against Gaurav Verma, and further investigation is underway.

Following the case, police said, GIES’ operations have been closed.The Indian Express sent an email to the Nysa Group seeking comment and did not receive a response.

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Looking back, Richa said they could have researched more. “It’s not like we don’t know how immigration happens in Punjab and other places. But this felt different. It was not a local office. He (Dharmendra) had a posh space, a big brand, his accent, his knowledge. He made us feel so secure.”