Mangaluru: In a recent development, the Second Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru overturned a lower court’s decision and imposed a ₹20,000 fine on a 34-year-old resident of Bantwal, Dakshina Kannada district. The individual, Shafi Mohammed Kunhi, faced charges for using a fake visa during his travel abroad eight years ago.

Judge K.P. Preethi deemed the use of a fake visa a serious offense, attributing it to Kunhi’s attempt to secure employment. Notably, no third party or the state suffered any losses due to this act. The judge directed the accused to pay a fine of ₹10,000 each for offenses under Sections 465 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The incident dates back to February 6, 2016, when Kunhi was set to board an Air India flight to Doha at Mangaluru International Airport. Immigration clearance personnel discovered that the visiting visa (number 272010545392) produced by Kunhi was fake. Further investigation revealed that he possessed a valid employment visa (number 342016005134) for five years.

Following the arrest by Bajpe police and a subsequent charge sheet, Kunhi was acquitted on January 4, 2022, by the 3rd Additional Senior Civil Judge and JMFC. Dissatisfied, the state filed an appeal, leading to the recent decision by the Second Additional District and Sessions Court on February 29, 2024.

The judge emphasized key evidence, noting that Kunhi failed to produce the original employment visa during immigration clearance. Instead, he presented a fake visiting visa as an alternative. The court criticized the trial court’s errors, including the dismissal of prosecution claims and the demand for additional witnesses and CCTV footage.

In light of these findings, the judge concluded that it was a fit case to reverse the trial court’s judgment of acquittal, reinforcing the gravity of using fraudulent visas.

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