A 35-year-old woman from the Thakkarbapanagar area of Ahmedabad has been booked after immigration authorities alleged that she traveled abroad multiple times using forged passports issued in the names of other women. According to police, she allegedly replaced the original passport holders' photographs with her own to impersonate them. The investigation has been shifted from the IGI Airport in Delhi to Ahmedabad to apprehend the agents she contacted for these illegal trips.
Incident Details
The case came to light when the woman arrived at Delhi's IGI Airport from the United States on May 17, carrying an emergency certificate issued for her return to India. During verification of her travel documents, immigration officials noticed discrepancies in her travel history and initiated further scrutiny.
According to the complaint filed by an immigration officer at the IGI Airport police station, official records showed that the woman last legally arrived in India in August 2024. However, immigration authorities could not trace any corresponding departure from India thereafter through the Immigration Control System.
Disclosure During Questioning
During questioning, the woman allegedly disclosed that she left India in December 2025 from Ahmedabad using a forged passport arranged by an agent. Police found that the passport was originally issued in the name of another woman and that the accused had affixed her own photograph on the document before using it for international travel.
Pattern of Fraud
Officials suspect that this was not an isolated incident. Preliminary findings indicate that the woman has traveled abroad on four occasions using passports issued in the names of different women. Police are now examining travel records, immigration logs, and passport details to ascertain the extent of the alleged fraud.
The complaint alleges that by using forged passports and assuming the identities of genuine passport holders, the accused cheated Indian immigration authorities and bypassed established verification mechanisms.
Legal Action
Based on the complaint, IGI Airport police registered an FIR under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to cheating, forgery, and use of forged documents, along with relevant sections of the Passport Act. Police are also attempting to identify and trace the agents who allegedly arranged the forged travel documents.
