The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against two couples after the Embassy of France detected visa fraud. The fraud was initially discovered at the French Visa Service in New Delhi, and subsequent investigations led to the registration of the case under the passport act.
The FIR stated that fraudulent activities were identified in the issuance of two different passports: Passport No U2488935, issued by the Regional Passport Office in Jalandhar, and Passport No V5517012, issued by the Regional Passport Office in Delhi. Both passports were issued in the names of Gursharandeep Singh, son of Simal Singh, and Sarvjit Singh Notay, son of Kirpal Singh Notay, respectively. It was found that both passports had identical biometrics.
Further investigations revealed that Simal Singh and his wife, Manjit Kaur, who reside in Jalandhar, Punjab, obtained passport no U2486935 for their minor son Gursharandeep Singh from the RPO in Jalandhar in 2020. This passport was valid until November 2023. However, it was discovered that Simal Singh and Manjit Kaur conspired with Kirpal Singh Notay and his wife, Suresh Kumari Notay, residents of Tilak Nagar in Delhi, to obtain another passport for their son.
As part of the conspiracy, a fake birth certificate was prepared, falsely showing Sarvjit Singh Notay as the son of Kirpal Singh Notay and Suresh Kumari Notay. Kirpal Singh Notay then submitted an application to the RPO in New Delhi on January 13, 2022, for a passport in the name of Sarvjit Singh Notay. The application included the photograph of Gursharandeep Singh, and Gursharandeep Singh signed it as Sarvjit Singh. Kirpal Singh Notay and his wife provided an affidavit, the fake birth certificate, and photocopies of their passports to support the application. Subsequently, passport no V5517012 was issued by the RPO in New Delhi in the name of Sarvjit Singh Notay.
The investigation also revealed that Gursharandeep Singh attempted to obtain a visa from the Embassy of Spain using this fake passport, but his application was rejected in March 2022. He made another attempt to obtain a visa from the Embassy of Spain using the same passport, but this was also rejected in May 2022. Lastly, he tried to obtain a visa from the Embassy of France using passport no U2486935, but this was rejected in December 2022 after the embassy detected that his biometrics matched those obtained by the Embassy of Spain when he tried to use the fake passport no V5517012.
A senior official stated that after the Embassy of France detected the fraud and informed the agency, a case was registered against both couples under the Indian Penal Code sections of fraud, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and the passport act.
The CBI’s investigation highlights the importance of ensuring the authenticity of passports and preventing fraudulent activities. The case serves as a reminder of the consequences individuals can face when attempting to deceive authorities through such means. This incident underscores the significance of robust security measures in passport issuance and the need for continuous vigilance to combat visa fraud.
The CBI will continue its investigations to uncover any further details related to this case as it seeks to ensure accountability and maintain the integrity of the passport issuance process. Such measures are crucial in safeguarding the national security interests of India and strengthening international cooperation to combat fraudulent activities in the visa process.
