Mumbai: 70-year-old Nepali Woman Held at Mumbai Airport for Dual Citizenship Fraud

Immigration officials at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport detained a 70-year-old Nepali woman while she was attempting to board a flight to Kathmandu. She was later arrested by the police for allegedly possessing fraudulent documents, including an Indian voter ID, passport and other identity proofs.

The case has once again highlighted the strict regulations against dual citizenship between India and Nepal, as neither country permits such a practice.

According to a senior immigration officer, the incident occurred at around 11:05 am during the security check for IndiGo flight number 6E-1157 to Kathmandu. Suspicion arose when officials noticed her Indian voter ID, which confirmed Indian citizenship, but her responses regarding the purpose of travel to Nepal were unsatisfactory. Her Nepali-sounding name further raised doubts, and she was presented before the wing in-charge for detailed questioning.

During interrogation, it was revealed that the woman was originally a Nepali citizen who had moved to India several years ago and settled in Diva, Thane district. In 2006, she married an Indian national, Kailash Wagh, and on the basis of the marriage certificate, managed to obtain an Indian voter ID, Aadhaar card and other documents. Using these documents, she was planning to travel back to Kathmandu.

Officials confirmed her Nepali identity after she produced photographs of her Nepali citizenship card and voter ID. Following this revelation, Sahar Police seized all her documents and have launched a detailed investigation into the case.