Court awards man 1 yr jail term for visa fraud, says it impacts India's image

A magistrate's court recentlyawarded one year imprisonment to a man who was caught with aforged British Residence Permit at the international airporthere, citing that such offences lower the country's image andpose visa problems for intelligent students.

Additional chief judicial magistrate (Andheri court) RR Khan on February 8 found Hardik Patel, a resident ofGujarat, guilty of offences committed under IPC sections 471(using as genuine a forged document) and 420 (cheating).

In the detailed order made available on Thursday, thecourt observed, ''Noticeably, the incident is in respect ofdeceiving the immigration authorities of two countries - Indiaand the United Kingdom. The offences are serious.'' Due to such offences, job aspirants and intelligentstudents will not get visa and image of nation will belowered, the court noted.

These offences also have a diplomatic impact, itadded.

As per the prosecution, in 2010, an immigrationofficer at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj InternationalAirport while checking Patel's passport upon his arrival fromLondon had certain doubts about the residence permit ofBritain.

Further examination revealed that the accused had goneto the UK on a student visa in 2007, which also allowed him towork for 20 hours a week.

However, in 2008, his student visa expired and heobtained a British Residence Permit from April 2008 toDecember 2009 by applying before the Home Office, it wasstated.

To get more time to work in the UK, Patel obtainedanother residence permit from December 2009 to November 2012with the help of one Tejenderpal Singh Parmar and paid 3,000British Pounds to a solicitor.

The investigation officer informed the court theBritish High Commission was contacted for verification and itofficially confirmed that residence permit (from December 2009to November 2012) used by the accused was forged.

The court while convicting Patel said the facts andcircumstances of the case are self-indicative that the crimemust have been committed in passion or obsession to earn moneyby overstaying in the UK.

''Shockingly, the accused being highly educatedpreferred to give the amount to a private person for residencepermit without following the due process of law,'' it added.