In a recent incident at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), immigration officials detained a 26-year-old woman of Nepalese origin attempting to travel to Hong Kong on an Indian passport.
The accused, Sushmita Rai, originally from Nepal and currently residing in Haryana, had booked a Cathay Pacific flight (CX 624) scheduled for departure at 1:20 am. She arrived at Terminal 2 around 9:20 pm and approached counter no. 18 at the departure immigration section. Rai presented her flight ticket, a Hong Kong employment visa, and Indian passport number W8594425.
However, suspicion arose when the immigration officer requested additional identification, and Rai submitted a PAN card and a digital copy of a Nepalese national ID. This contradiction raised alarms, prompting a thorough inquiry.
On interrogation, officials discovered that despite being a Nepal citizen, Rai had secured an Indian passport, Aadhaar card, and voter ID—allegedly obtained in West Bengal through an agent. She admitted to using these documents to acquire the passport but claimed she couldn’t recall the agent’s identity.
Rai had been in Bengaluru for a brief visit to her sister’s residence. Following the inquiry, she was handed over to the KIA police. Authorities arrested her under BNS Sections 336 (forgery), 340 (use of forged documents), and provisions of the Passport Act.
Police noted that similar cases involving Nepal nationals with fake Indian documents are frequently detected at KIA. A comparable incident occurred two weeks earlier involving a security guard at the Yelahanka tahsildar’s office.
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