Mumbai: A case has been registered against a Canadian citizen, Viren Gandhi (52), for allegedly tampering with his visa and unlawfully entering India. The incident unfolded on November 24 at Mumbai Airport, where Gandhi was apprehended by Airport Authority officials as he attempted to travel to Bangkok.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the discrepancies were discovered when Gandhi presented his Canadian passport and boarding pass for verification at the immigration counter. The immigration officer found on page 28 of Gandhi's passport that the expiration date of the Indian 'E' visa was altered to 20-02-2024. However, the immigration system indicated that the passport had expired on April 20, 2019.
Case Filed Under Cheating & Forgery Charges
Further investigation revealed that Gandhi had left India on February 27, 2019 from Delhi and returned from Dubai on November 11, 2023 via Mumbai Airport. Despite holding a double-entry visa valid for only one year, Gandhi allegedly tampered with the visa date.
The Airport Authority has filed a case against him under sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code.