Man arrested in fake visa case from Bengaluru airport

PTI, Jan 20, 2024, 11:08 AM IST

A man has been arrested in Bengaluru in connection with a fake passport-visa racket busted by the Delhi Police, officials said on Saturday.

They said Sadiqulla Baig was taken into custody at the Bengaluru airport upon arrival from Dubai on Thursday.

Informing about the arrest, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani said a look-out circular had been issued against Baig after his name surfaced in a case of fake visa in Punjab’s Ludhiana.

Bengaluru airport staff alerted security personnel as soon he landed in India, following which he was taken into custody and handed over to the Delhi Police, Rangnani said.

Referring to the fake visa case, Rangnani said a passenger identified as Harvinder Singh Dhanoa of Ludhiana was found travelling on a fake Canadian visa provided by an agent, Muskan alias Manpreet Kaur, a few months ago.

Police then arrested Manpreet, who disclosed that she had paid Rs 5 lakh to another agent, Sadiqulla Baig, based in Bengaluru for it, the officer said.

Several police raids could not trace Baig and hence, the look-out circular was issued, she added.

Another police officer said Baig disclosed during an interrogation that the fake visa sticker was provided to him by a Dubai-based agent.

The officer further said Baig told police that he and his associates cheated people for the sake of easy money.

During further investigation, the man’s bank account was frozen. There was Rs 1.5 lakh in it and Baig told investigators that he had transferred the rest of the money to his relatives, the officer said.

Further efforts are underway to trace his possible involvement in other similar cases, he added.