Police on Saturday booked two men for sending a local resident to Canada using a forged passport.

The accused were identified as Baba Balwinder Singh and Harpreet Singh of Padiala village in Kurali. The duo was booked following the complaint of Jhujhar Singh of Ropar, who initially approached police alleging that Baba Balwinder Singh had sent Harpreet Singh to Canada using his passport.

After probing the complaint, Rupnagar senior superintendent of police (SSP) forwarded the complaint to Mohali police.

Jhujhar Singh told police that he used to be the part of the kirtan group under Baba Balwinder Singh at the Gurdwara Nanaksar Gurdwara Sahib, Singhpura, Kurali, and earlier stayed on its premises.

“I travelled to Canada and England three times each along with Baba Balwinder Singh. I also went to America. Later due to some family issues, I returned home, while my passport was with Balwinder Singh. When I eventually sought my passport back from him, he said that he lost it, following which I informed the police,” the complainant said.

He later found out that the accused sent Harpreet Singh to Canada by forging his passport.

After being probed by a SP-level officer here, a report was submitted to Mohali senior superintendent of police (SSP), who directed to register a cheating case.

The absconding accused have been booked under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), besides relevant sections of the Passport Act, 1967, at the Kurali police station.