After ‘scuffle’ with railway supervisor German national held for fraud

The German national at Robertsganj Police Station. (Source: ANI)

Two days after he allegedly got into a scuffle with a railway official at Robertsganj station in Sonbhadra district, a German national was arrested on charges of cheating and fraud Monday. Holger Erik Misch (45) was not carrying his passport and visa, and had overwritten the date on a photocopy of his visa to extend his stay in the country, said police. He was produced in a court, which sent him to judicial custody.

On Saturday afternoon, Holger and railway supervisor Aman Kumar had filed complaints against each other alleging assault, on the basis of which the Government Railway Police (GRP) registered non-cognisable reports (NCRs) against both parties. Later, Sonbhadra district police questioned Holger as he was not carrying his passport and visa.

“We found a photocopy of his visa in his possessions, on which the date was found to have been overwritten. Holger claimed that his original passport and visa were impounded in a court of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. His information has to be verified,” said Superintendent of Police, Sonebhadra, Ram Pratap Singh.

Police lodged a case against Holger under section 14 of The Foreigners Act and IPC sections 419 (cheating by personation) and 420 (fraud) at Robertsganj police station.

“During interrogation, Holger told us he had been facing trouble getting accommodation in hotels for not having passport or visa. Therefore, he overwrote the date of stay on the photocopy of his visa and extended the time. He had come to India in 2016 and travelled to Sonbhadra from Varanasi,” said Station House Officer, Robertsganj police station, Rajeev Kumar Mishra.

On June 5 last year, Holger was booked under IPC section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) at Manikaran police station in Kullu on charges of attacking a person with a sharp-edged weapon. The matter is pending in court. His visa and passport were impounded in the court of chief judicial magistrate, Kullu.