New Delhi: In a unique case, seven people were arrested from Delhi Airport for attempting to travel on fake boarding passes, an official said here Tuesday. According to the official, the agent who provided them fake boarding passes, RT-PCR test reports and joining letter to board a ship in the United Kingdom, was also later arrested with the help from technical surveillance.
The accused have been identified as Armandeep Singh, Amritpal Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Gurwinder Singh, Rahul Jangra, Deepak, Manbeer and the mastermind agent Pankaj alias Kamal.
Furnishing details about the case, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI-Airport) Sanjay Tyagi said, on January 2, a complaint was received that around 0030 hrs, and Air India ground staff approached for offloading of seven Indian passengers. All the 7 accused passengers were earlier cleared immigration for the UK (London) by flight dated January 1 as Seamen.
During scrutiny of their travel documents by Air India SATS at the boarding gate, it was found that their boarding passes were fake, and re-verification of travel documents was done during which it was found that their names did not reflect in the final passenger manifest of the travel chart of Air India flight.
Air India handed over the accused passengers to immigration authorities and subsequently a case was registered under sections 420, 468, 471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
On sustained interrogation, the accused passengers revealed that they had procured their boarding passes, RT-PCR test reports and joining letter to board ship by two Delhi based agents namely Krishna and Kamal for a payment of Rs 12 lakh from each person. These agents also assured them of their permanent settlement in the UK.
They further revealed that all of them were going to the UK as Seamen on CDC (Continuous Discharge Certificates) approved by DG shipping of India. However, it was also planned that once they reach the UK they will destroy CDC certificates and seek asylum from the UK Government.
“The agent had apprehension that if the passengers approached the Airlines counter for boarding passes, the officials might apprehend them on the basis of their profile. Hence, the agent gave fake boarding passes to the passengers so that they can avoid going to the Airlines Counter,” the official said.
After obtaining all necessary details, a manhunt was launched for the accused agent who was then nabbed from Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh. The accused agent admitted that he along with his associates Ranjeet & Krishna arranged the fake boarding pass for the passengers.
Further as per the allegations in the FIR, role of the Airlines staff who tried to push in the passengers to travel on fake boarding passes is also under the scanner and is being investigated, the official added.
IANS