Man held at Mumbai airport for trying to fly to Rome on fake Indian documents

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Immigration authorities at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport apprehended a man attempting to fly to Rome on forged Indian documents. The man, identified as Bipin Mahendra Basnet is alleged to be a Nepali national, residing in India illegally for the last 40 years.

According to an FIR registered with Sahar Police, Basnet was scheduled to travel to Rome via Doha for a seaman's job on May 2. But while examining his documents, an assistant immigration officer grew suspicious after noticing multiple trips to Nepal.

During interrogation, the accused claimed that his parents were stranded in Mumbai during the 1976 Emergency, and that he was born in India in 1984. However, during a forensic check of his mobile phone, officials discovered frequent call records to Nepal and photos of his Nepali citizenship.

Basnet is said to have used a fabricated Indian birth certificate to acquire an Aadhaar card, PAN card, and a voter ID. Basnet was arrested under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Passport Act. "If proven to be a Nepali national, he will be deported following due legal procedures," a police officer said.

40
No of years he allegedly lived illegally in India