Visa case: Mumbai court grants pre-arrest bail to son, daughter-in-law of former minister Malik

Judge M G Deshpande granted the couple anticipatory bail.The suburban Kurla police had registered a complaint of cheating and forgery against the duo last week.According to the police, Hemelin, a French national, had submitted forged documents while applying to convert her tourist visa into a long-term visa.The duo has denied the criminal charges and claimed to be victims of fraud at the hands of an agent who they had appointed to obtain a marriage certificate, which is at the centre of the case.

A sessions court here on Monday granted pre-arrest bail to former Maharashtra cabinet minister Nawab Malik's son Faraz and French daughter-in-law Laura Hemelin alias Ayesha in connection with a case of submission of alleged forged documents to extend her visa. Judge M G Deshpande granted the couple anticipatory bail.

The suburban Kurla police had registered a complaint of cheating and forgery against the duo last week.

According to the police, Hemelin, a French national, had submitted forged documents while applying to convert her tourist visa into a long-term visa.

The duo has denied the criminal charges and claimed to be victims of fraud at the hands of an agent who they had appointed to obtain a marriage certificate, which is at the centre of the case. The couple has said the agent had cheated 18 other people.

The couple, who had approached the court for anticipatory bail, claimed no cheating or forgery case was made out against them as they are neither the authors of the alleged forged marriage certificate nor had they caused any wrongful loss to any person.

An FIR (first information report) was lodged against the two under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code and section 14 (penalty for contravention of provisions) of the Foreigners Act.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)