NEW DELHI: After eight long years of trial, a man was sentenced to a 15-day jail term for having a fake stamp put on his passport by his travel agent.
While taking a lenient view of his offence, the court rapped Delhi Police for charging the accused with conspiracy when there was nothing to prove that it was a pre-meditated and planned crime committed by him.
The accused, Harbhajan Singh, a construction worker, wanted to go abroad.Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Kamini Lau said: "There is nothing on record to show that any sort of conspiracy was hatched by Singh and his travel agent to forge the ECNR stamp on his passport. In fact, the passport of the accused and his visa is genuine."
Taking on record the investigating officer's statement that Singh's travel agent had disclosed that he had arranged for the ECNR stamp put on his passport, Lau said: "I hereby hold that there is nothing to prove and substantiate the conspiracy...however, since he had used the passport containing the forged ECNR stamp, I hold him guilty of cheating."
The accused's plea for a lenient view was accepted by Lau as he is the sole breadwinner of his family. "The accused is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for a period of 15 days. Keeping in mind the poor financial condition of the accused, he is sentenced to pay a fine of Rs 5,000."
Source: TOI
While taking a lenient view of his offence, the court rapped Delhi Police for charging the accused with conspiracy when there was nothing to prove that it was a pre-meditated and planned crime committed by him.
The accused, Harbhajan Singh, a construction worker, wanted to go abroad.Additional chief metropolitan magistrate Kamini Lau said: "There is nothing on record to show that any sort of conspiracy was hatched by Singh and his travel agent to forge the ECNR stamp on his passport. In fact, the passport of the accused and his visa is genuine."
Taking on record the investigating officer's statement that Singh's travel agent had disclosed that he had arranged for the ECNR stamp put on his passport, Lau said: "I hereby hold that there is nothing to prove and substantiate the conspiracy...however, since he had used the passport containing the forged ECNR stamp, I hold him guilty of cheating."
The accused's plea for a lenient view was accepted by Lau as he is the sole breadwinner of his family. "The accused is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for a period of 15 days. Keeping in mind the poor financial condition of the accused, he is sentenced to pay a fine of Rs 5,000."
Source: TOI
