Crack down on TV ads by unregistered agents: HC

Chandigarh, October 25
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has told Punjab and Haryana, along with the Union Territory of Chandigarh, to initiate suitable action against television channels and advertisers in case advertisements by unregistered agents are being telecast.
The order by Justice AB Chaudhari came more than four months after the two states were held culpable for not warning people keen to go abroad against contacting unregistered or unlicensed agents.
Justice Chaudhari directed the state governments and the UT administration to find out whether the advertisements on TV channels on the issue were by registered agents.
The Judge has already directed the states to issue immediate instructions to various district magistrates to publish “a list of registered agents and warn the citizens not to go to unauthorised agents”. The list was required to be made public on a regular basis through television, radio, newspapers and other modes of communication.
Justice Chaudhari observed that agents not registered or licensed by the government were taking money and sending people abroad; and gullible citizens were falling in their trap.
He asserted: “One of the reasons appears to be the failure on the part of the states of Punjab and Haryana in not warning the people at large not to contact any unregistered or unlicensed person/agent and not to give any amount to them.
“The people who do not know about the fact that only licensed or registered agents can be approached, have been falling in the trap at the cost of losing their valuable properties, money and ornaments, ultimately realising that they have been cheated.”
Observing that “offences were being reported day in and day out”, Justice Chaudhari also directed the submission of a compliance-cum-action-taken report by Punjab and Haryana.
The developments took place on a petition filed by Ramandeep Singh alias Babbu for regular bail in an FIR for cheating and other offences registered at Navi Baradari police station in Jalandhar district in February under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC, besides provisions of the Punjab Travel Professional Regulation Act and Immigration Act.
The Bench was told that the petitioner was arrested on February 15 and was in jail since then. “It is seen that the money was actually received by the co-accused, who was granted bail by the trial court. I am, therefore, inclined to grant bail to the petitioner….,” Justice Chaudhari had added.