Man tears passport pages to hide Bangkok visit from family; held at Mumbai airport

Mumbai: A 51-year-old Pune resident was arrested at Mumbai International Airport for allegedly tearing pages from his passport to conceal his trips to Bangkok from his family, a police official said on Wednesday.

The accused, Vijay Bhalerao, was intercepted by immigration officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) early Monday during checking when it was found that some pages in his passport were torn.

A police official said Bhalerao had visited Bangkok four times last year. Earlier this month, he travelled to Indonesia from the Mumbai airport.

His interrogation revealed that he tore pages of his passport to hide his visits to Bangkok from his family, the official said.

Bhalerao was taken to Sahar police station and booked under relevant sections under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Passport Act. Further investigation is underway, the official added.