Namesake uses Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh’s bank statement for UK visa

British high commission in New Delhi, spotting a discrepancy in information, contacted police who have begun a probe.

Indian cricket Harbhajan Singh has found himself involved in a scam whereby a namesake used his bank statement to get a British visit visa, Indian newspaper The Times Of India reported on Wednesday.

Police in Jalandhar have begun investigating the scam. The culprit belongs to a town named Patti in the border district of Tarn Taran.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Harkanwaljit Singh Khakh said police were probing how the namesake was able to procure the bank statement from the Civil Lines branch of HDFC Bank.

The scam was uncovered when the New Delhi-based British high commission became suspicious of the documents submitted by Harbhajan Singh of Patti. The documents filed said that his mother’s name is Kulwant Kaur while the bank statement said her name is Aytar Kaur.

The high commission then complained to the Jalandhar police commissioner. “We have sent summons twice to the other Harbhajan Singh, who works for an oil company in Mumbai, but he has not joined the investigation,” Khakh said.

The high commission has refused a visa to the namesake who faked the bank statement.

Meanwhile, police said they are also investigating the role of agents and HDFC bank employees to figure out if this is an isolated incident or part of a racket that supplies fake bank account statements.

Police said the manager of the HDFC Bank had confirmed that the account statement sent to the embassy belonged to the cricketer. The fake statement submitted to the embassy showed an account balance of over Rs 400,000, in the name of the cricketer who resides in Jalandhar city, 150km from Chandigarh.

Police have questioned members of the family of the Tarn Taran Harbhajan Singh.