New Delhi: Eluding law enforcement agencies after commissioning a crime is no child’s play. A recent incident of a man attempting to evade legal consequences by assuming a new identity has come to light. However, his nefarious intentions were foiled when he was apprehended by vigilant Immigration personnel at the Delhi Airport.
A Suspicious Arrival
On the intervening night of October 11-12, thirty-seven-year-old Rajeev Kumar arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport from Amsterdam, Netherlands. He intended to evade law enforcement by claiming to be a resident of West Bengal. However, his plan quickly unraveled when he encountered alert immigration officials.
At the immigration clearance counter, he claimed to be a resident of West Bengal. But when asked about the specific location in the state, he failed to give satisfactory answers, raising suspicions among the officers. What further strengthened their doubt was his inability to converse in Bengali, the predominant language in West Bengal.
Doubtful Conversations
Subsequently, when the officials checked his mobile phone, their suspicion deepened. To their surprise, every conversation within the device was carried out in Punjabi. This discrepancy in language usage led the officers to believe that the individual might be using a false identity.
“When asked, he revealed that he is from West Bengal but cannot speak Bengali. He was also clueless about the territory of his native place. On scrutiny of his mobile, all chats were in Punjabi, which created suspicion of his identity,” read the FIR, accessed by IANS.
False Passport Uncovered
Upon a more thorough investigation, it was revealed that the passport he presented was issued from the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Kolkata, which seemed to have been procured using false information or documents.
The accused was then handed over to the Delhi Police and thoroughly questioned about his whereabouts. On sustained interrogation, the man revealed his real identity as Sompal Soma, a resident of Ambala in Haryana.
An Attempted Escape
Sompal had been convicted to life imprisonment in a case registered in Chandigarh. “He managed to issue a fake passport from RPO-Kolkata in the name of Rajeev Kumar and fled from India. During further inquiry, it was found that the passenger is convicted for life imprisonment in a case registered at sector 17 police station, Chandigarh,” the FIR stated.
Legal Action Taken
In response to the incident, the Delhi Police has registered an FIR under sections 419, 420, 468, 471 of the Indian Penal Code, and under Section 12 of the Passport Act at IGI Airport police station. This will allow them to initiate legal proceedings against the individual, ensuring that he faces the consequences of his actions.
This case serves as an example of the diligence and vigilance exercised by immigration and law enforcement personnel to prevent individuals from evading the law by assuming false identities or using fraudulent documents. Such efforts are essential for maintaining security and upholding the law.
The incident at the Indira Gandhi International Airport serves as a stark reminder that eluding the law is no easy task. Law enforcement agencies worldwide employ rigorous screening and investigative techniques to identify individuals attempting to evade legal consequences. Here’s a detailed account of the incident and the subsequent actions taken to apprehend the individual.
The Arrival
On the night of October 11-12, Rajeev Kumar arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. The 37-year-old traveler had recently flown in from Amsterdam, Netherlands. His arrival appeared to be no different from that of any other passenger. However, this mundane appearance concealed a hidden agenda that would soon be unraveled.
Deception Begins
As Rajeev Kumar approached the immigration clearance counter, he claimed to be a resident of West Bengal, one of India’s eastern states. While this assertion might have seemed plausible initially, the immigration officers’ doubts were soon aroused. When questioned about specific details of his purported location in West Bengal, Rajeev’s responses were vague and unconvincing. This initial skepticism alerted immigration officials that there might be more to the situation than met the eye.
The Language Disconnect
As the officers continued their scrutiny, another inconsistency emerged. While Rajeev claimed to be a resident of West Bengal, the primary language spoken in the state is Bengali. However, when officers engaged him in conversation, he was unable to communicate effectively in Bengali. This linguistic discrepancy further fueled their suspicions that something was amiss.
Suspicious Mobile Conversations
Intrigued by these disparities, immigration officials decided to delve deeper into the situation. They requested access to Rajeev’s mobile phone to review his recent conversations. To their astonishment, they discovered that every conversation within the device was conducted in Punjabi, a language primarily spoken in the Indian state of Punjab.
This revelation solidified their belief that Rajeev might be using a false identity or attempting to deceive authorities. The incongruity between his claimed residence, his inability to converse in Bengali, and the exclusive use of Punjabi in his mobile communications created a compelling case for further investigation.
Unmasking the Fraud
A meticulous examination of the situation unveiled even more troubling information. Authorities determined that the passport Rajeev had presented had been issued by the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal. However, they discovered that this document seemed to have been procured through the use of false information or fraudulent documents.
At this point, it was abundantly clear that Rajeev Kumar had something to hide. His attempts to pass himself off as a resident of West Bengal, his linguistic inability, and the inconsistencies with his passport all pointed to a concerted effort to deceive law enforcement.
Revealing the Truth
Following the revelations at the immigration counter, Rajeev Kumar was promptly handed over to the Delhi Police. A comprehensive and extensive inquiry was conducted to ascertain his true identity and intentions. Under sustained interrogation, the man finally revealed his actual identity as Sompal Soma, a resident of Ambala in Haryana, a state adjacent to Punjab.
A Life on the Run
It became clear that Sompal Soma had adopted a false identity to escape the consequences of his actions. As the investigation progressed, it was discovered that he had been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in a case registered in Chandigarh, a city and union territory in northern India. Evidently, Soma had managed to secure a fake passport from the RPO in Kolkata under the name of Rajeev Kumar, using it to flee India and potentially avoid serving his sentence.
Legal Action Taken
In response to these revelations, the Delhi Police initiated a legal course of action. An FIR (First Information Report) was registered under sections 419, 420, 468, 471 of the Indian Penal Code, in addition to Section 12 of the Passport Act. This combination of charges enables authorities to pursue legal proceedings against Sompal Soma for his deceptive actions and evasion of the law.
A Lesson in Vigilance
The incident at the Indira Gandhi International Airport serves as a stark reminder that law enforcement agencies employ rigorous measures to identify individuals attempting to evade the law through assumed identities and fraudulent documents. Such vigilant efforts are crucial for maintaining security, upholding the law, and ensuring that individuals are held accountable for their actions.
The ability to adapt to new identities and escape the consequences of criminal activities is no longer an easy feat. Authorities across the globe have increasingly sophisticated methods for screening, tracking, and identifying individuals attempting to elude justice. This case underscores the importance of stringent immigration protocols and the unwavering dedication of law enforcement personnel in preventing individuals from escaping the repercussions of their actions.
