Mumbai: A man attempting to board a flight to Rome with a forged Indian passport was detained at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on May 2. The accused, identified as Bipin Mahendra Basnet, is believed to be a Nepali national who has allegedly lived illegally in India for the past 40 years.
According to a report citing a formal complaint filed with the Sahar Police, Basnet was scheduled to travel to Rome via Doha for a seaman's job. However, an assistant immigration officer at the airport grew suspicious while examining his travel documents, noting multiple visits to Nepal despite the man claiming to be an Indian citizen.
When questioned, Basnet claimed he was born in India in 1984 and said his parents were stranded in Mumbai during the 1976 Emergency. However, a forensic analysis of his mobile phone contradicted this account. Authorities discovered images suggesting Nepali citizenship as well as frequent call logs to phone numbers based in Nepal, casting further doubt on his nationality.
Investigations revealed that Basnet had managed to obtain critical Indian identity documents, including an Aadhaar card, PAN card and voter ID, by allegedly using a fake Indian birth certificate, reported Lokmat Times. These documents were likely used to create the forged passport that he presented at the immigration counter.
The man has since been taken into custody under relevant sections of the Passport Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police officials confirmed that if his Nepali nationality is conclusively established, Basnet will be deported following appropriate legal procedures.
