The Gamdevi police arrested a teenager from the US consulate’s office on Friday for allegedly forging documents for a US visa.
He is caught while trying to obtain visa with forged documents
The Gamdevi police arrested a teenager from the US consulate’s office on Friday for allegedly forging documents for a US visa. The police also arrested a fake travel agent from Pune for helping the teenager get the documents.
Vijayan K Shankaran, 45, who runs Durga Associates, a travel agency in Pune, helped Sasidharan Shamkumar, 19, obtain the fake documents for an interview with the US consulate.
“The duo has been booked for cheating and conspiracy, and have been remanded in custody till September 30,” said sub inspector Ashok Bhujbal, Gamdevi police station.
He said the police have also seized all the fake documents submitted by Shamkumar.
According to the police, the matter came to light when the officials from the US consulate called Shamkumar for an interview. “He had submitted an admission letter issued by PC Tech Training Centre, New Jersey, USA, as well as a certificate issued by Bank of Baroda, Ahmedabad, claiming that his current bank balance was around Rs10 lakh. Also, he had attached an experience certificate of Global Venture, Ahmedabad, saying that he was working there as a personal relation manager since 2006,” said Bhujbal.
However, while verifying the documents, officials from the consulate suspected foul play and alerted the police.
During interrogation, Shamkumar reportedly told the police that he had never visited Ahmedabad and was also unemployed. “He said that he sold his property in Kerala to obtain the US visa. He also paid Rs2.37 lakh to Shankaran in five installments,” said senior inspector Narayan Dumbre, Gamdevi police station.
Shamkumar also told the police that he was staying at his maternal uncle Anil Nair’s house at Vishrantwadi in Pune since the last seven months.
During his stay there he met Shankaran, who promised to help him get the visa.
A police team raided Durga Associates and nabbed Shankaran. During investigation, it was revealed that Shankaran was a mechanic. “He was running the travel agency for the last one-and-half-year without a valid permit from the state government,” said Dumbre.
The police said that one of Shankaran’s friends Venkat Reddy, who shifted to New Jersey six months ago, supplied him with bogus admission letters of various US universities and technical centres.
k_dayanand@dnaindia.net 
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