Woman travels on husband’s passport

An Indian-origin businesswoman managed to travel from the U.K.’s Manchester city to New Delhi via Dubai on her husband’s passport before the serious security lapse was picked up in India, prompting the Emirates Airline to launch an investigation into the incident.

Geeta Modha, who runs Alankar boutique in Rusholme area of Manchester, left for the airport with husband Dilip’s passport by mistake for a business trip on April 23. The 55-year-old was able to check-in and board the flight and was waved through a stopover at Dubai on to New Delhi before the error was picked up, according to ‘Manchester Evening News’.

As a holder of Overseas Indian Citizenship (OCI), Ms. Modha was expected to produce her passport at Delhi immigration and was denied entry to India at that point. “It’s scary and worrying that people aren’t checking properly,” she told the newspaper.

Ms. Modha travelled back to Dubai to wait for her own passport, which was flown to her from U.K. by Emirates Airline.

“The fact they say they are so strict on security in airports but you can do this in 2018 is terrible. At check-in, the staff member even made me move stuff from one bag to another because it was 2 kg over — and yet let me travel with the wrong passport,” she said.

Indian authorities made Ms. Modha travel back to Dubai to wait for her own passport, which was flown to her from U.K. by Emirates Airline.