Teen Uses Fake Papers for Canadian Student Visa; Also, Visa Agent Under Scrutiny
A 19-year-old student faces immigration charges for allegedly using counterfeit academic records to obtain a Canadian student visa. Police are also investigating a Gujarat-based visa agent suspected of facilitating the creation of these false documents.
SS Pandey, an immigration officer at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, initiated the case. The incident occurred when the teen presented himself at the immigration counter with his Indian passport and flight boarding pass on Tuesday.
The youth’s inadequate responses to questions about his purpose for visiting Canada and his academic performance in Class X and XII raised suspicions. Although he was scheduled for a flight to Paris en route to Toronto, discrepancies prompted a more thorough inquiry. The teenager eventually admitted to acquiring forged academic certificates through an Ahmedabad-based agent, aimed at securing the Canadian visa.
This disclosure led immigration officials to involve the police, resulting in formal charges. The case falls under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code: Section 420 (cheating), Section 465 (forgery), Section 468 (forgery for deception), and Section 471 (use of counterfeit documents).