CBI registers FIR against two couples after Embassy of France detects Visa fraud

New Delhi [India], July 4 : After French Visa Service detected alleged passport fraud, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against two couples under the passport act.

A First Information Report registered in the matter reads that fraud was detected at French Visa Service, New Delhi that two different passports viz Passport No U2488935 issued from the Regional Passport Office, Jalandhar, and Passport No V5517012 issued from the Regional Passport Office, Delhi in the name of Gursharandeep Singh, son of Simal Singh and Sarvjit Singh Notay, son of Kirpal Singh Notay respectively. The passports have the same biometrics.

The information further disclosed that Simal Singh and his wife Manjit Kaur resident of Jalandhar in Punjab obtained passport no U2486935 in favour of their minor son Gursharandeep Singh from RPO, Jalandhar in the year 2020 that was valid till November 2023.

It is also revealed that Simal Singh and his Manjit Kuar conspired with Kirpal Singh Notay and his wife Suresh Kumari Notay, a resident of Tilak Nagar in Delhi to obtain another passport for their son.

In pursuance of the said conspiracy, they prepared a fake/ forged birth certificate dated 28 January 2010 purportedly issued by Municipal Corporation Faridabad, in the name of Sarvjit Singh Notay, falsely showing him as the son of Kirpal Singh Notay and Suresh Kumari Notay.

In furtherance of the said criminal conspiracy, an application dated 13 January 2022 was submitted by Kirpal Singh Notay with the Regional Passport Office, New Delhi for issuing a passport in the name of Sarvjit Singh Notay, affixing the photograph of Gursharandeep Singh on the said application Gursharandeep Singh appended the signature "Sarvjit Singh" on the said application.

Kirpal Singh Notay and his wife Suresh Kumari Notay enclosed an affidavit, the fake birth certificate and a photocopy of their passports in support of the contents of the said application. Subsequently, Passport No V5517012 was issued by RPO, New Delhi, in the name of Sarvjit Singh Notay.

The information further disclosed that Gursharandeep Singh first attempted to obtain a visa from the Embassy of Spain, New Delhi, on the strength of fake passport No V5517012 issued in the name of Sarvjit Singh Notay, which was rejected by the Embassy of Spain in March 2022 .

He again attempted to obtain a visa from the Embassy of Spain using passport number V5517012, which was also rejected by the Embassy of Spain in May 2022. Subsequently, Gursharandeep Singh attempted to obtain a visa from the Embassy of France using passport number U2486935. However, the same was rejected by the Embassy of France in December 2022, as his biometrics matched with the biometrics obtained by the Embassy of Spain while he attempted to obtain a visa using a fake passport no V5517012.

"After the Embassy of France detected the fraud and informed the agency, a case has been registered against both the couples under Indian Penal Code sections of fraud, forgery criminal conspiracy and under passport act," said a senior official.