Mumbai: Woman held at Mumbai airport with fake Oman visa

A murder accused fled from police custody during his hearing in a case. (Representational Image)

A 39-year-old woman was held at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Friday, for allegedly attempting to fly to Oman using a fake visa. She is accused of not disclosing to the Bureau of Immigration that she was planning to go there to seek employment, and instead posing as a tourist.

The woman, Shailaja Vasu, a native of Kerala’s Kollam district, reached the immigration counter at the airport at 6 pm. She was to take a jet Airways flight to Muscat at 10.15 pm. When quizzed by immigration authorities about the purpose of her visit to Oman, Vasu produced a visit visa containing details of the person she was to stay with in Muscat, the police said.

However, when the immigration officer checked the status of her passport, he noticed that she was yet to be granted Emigration Clearance by the Protector of Emigrants, an office under the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. The clearance is required for Indian nationals, who wish to work in 18 countries in the Middle East and South East Asia. So when Vasu’s passport status showed Emigration Check Required, the immigration officer probed further.

The official’s suspicions grew stronger when he examined a photocopy of the passport and residency visa of the person with whom Vasu claimed she was going to stay in Muscat.

Vasu was then taken aside and questioned by other senior immigration officials, who also asked to check her luggage. The police said in her purse, Vasu was carrying an employment visa, which identified her as a housemaid and which bore the same serial number as the visit visa she was furnished minutes earlier.

When questioned, Vasu said her aunt Sushila Vishwabaharan (60), had been working as a housemaid in Muscat for the last 21 years. “Her aunt had decided to return home and Vasu was to take her place,” said an official at Sahar police station.

However, as that would require a clearance from the Protector of Emigrants, Vasu’s aunt had allegedly put her in touch with a travel agent in Thiruvanathapuram, who prepared visit and employment visas for her in order to circumnavigate the clearance.

“The agent had instructed Vasu to show the visit visa to immigration officials at Mumbai airport and the employment visa to immigration officials upon landing in Muscat,” added the official.

The Bureau of Immigration handed over Vasu to Sahar police station, which booked her for cheating and forgery under the Indian Penal Code and placed her under arrest. The travel agent was named as a wanted accused, the police said.