Afghan Man Who Stayed 5 Years In India With Fake ID Held At Lucknow Airport
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Jandullah, a resident of Afghanistan's Paktika province, admitted to having stayed illegally in India for several years and obtaining forged documents to establish a false identity
In a startling breach of airport security, immigration authorities at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow apprehended an Afghan national attempting to board an international flight using a forged Indian passport. The incident occurred on Sunday, May 19, when the man, later identified as Jandullah, alias Rehan, was preparing to board an IndiGo flight bound for Sharjah.
According to immigration officials, the individual initially identified himself as 'Rehan", a native of Bihar. However, his dialect and language immediately raised red flags with immigration officer Vidya Ram Shukla, who was on duty at the time. Sensing inconsistencies, Shukla initiated a deeper inquiry into the man's documents.
A subsequent investigation revealed that all of the Indian identity documents in the accused's possession including his Aadhaar card, PAN card, and passport, were issued after 2020. Yet records showed he had entered India in 2019 on a six-day medical visa. This glaring discrepancy set off alarm bells.
Under intense interrogation, the suspect confessed that his true identity was Jandullah, a resident of Chakan village in Afghanistan's Paktika province. He admitted to having stayed illegally in India for several years and obtaining forged Indian documents to establish a false identity.
Officials also learned of an elaborate personal backstory: after initially entering the country for medical treatment, Jandullah remained in India and integrated into local life. He reportedly lived with his brother and even participated in a family wedding. Within a week, his suspicious behaviour prompted further scrutiny, eventually leading to his confession.
With the gravity of the situation apparent, immigration authorities swiftly alerted the local police and intelligence agencies. The suspect has since been remanded to judicial custody following preliminary investigations.
Security and intelligence agencies are now working to trace his movements across cities during his stay in India. How someone managed to remain undetected for nearly five years using counterfeit documents is a significant lapse, said a senior intelligence official familiar with the case, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Police are preparing to seek custodial remand to extract more information from the accused as the probe expands into what may be a broader network of illegal entries and forged documentation.
First Published:
May 23, 2025, 14:47 IST
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