The Mumbai police crime branch has filed a over 1,300-page charge sheet at the Esplanade Court in connection with the South Korea visa racket involving two decorated Indian Navy officials and their agents, including a close female friend of the mastermind. Apart from the Navy officers, Sub-Lieutenant Brahmajyoti Sharma, 29, and Lieutenant Commander Vipin Dagar, 28, three civilians—Simran Teji, 29, Deepak Mehra alias Deepak Dogra, 29 and Ravi Kumar, 32—were arrested in connection with the racket.

Sharma and Dagar had allegedly been minting money by exploiting the desire of school and college dropouts in Jammu to obtain asylum in South Korea where they can earn at least R1 lakh per month. “The daily minimum wage in South Korea is significantly higher than in India. So, the unskilled youth of Jammu would prefer to go to South Korea where they would seek jobs in chicken factories. Each youth would earn lakhs every month. This offer was very enticing for Jammu youth who were sent to South Korea on tourist visas,” said an officer from Mumbai Crime Branch requesting anonymity.