The High Court of Karnataka has refused bail to a Cameroon national booked for overstaying and impersonation, though he blamed medical treatment and the Covid-19 lockdown for his inability to renew his visa.
Nkoa Theodore, a resident of the Cameroonian capital Yaoundé, sought bail in a case registered by the Whitefield police for offences punishable under IPC Sections 419 and 420 (cheating by impersonation and cheating) and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, for overstaying.
Justice K Natarajan pointed out that the petitioner had stayed at the Marriott Hotel in Whitefield last year using a different name, as per the records placed before the court. The court noted that the petitioner had not even applied for an extension of his visa, though it had expired on January 6, 2021.
"The investigation has been completed. There is a prima facie case against the petitioner. He has impersonated the name of a person and produced false documents and stayed in the hotel even though his passport has expired. Such being the case, if the petitioner is granted bail, the possibility of him absconding from the case and fleeing away from justice is not ruled out. Therefore, the petitioner is not entitled for bail," the court said.
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