[Illegal Visa Racket] "No Victim Filed a complaint": Delhi Court grants bail to man

Noting that "no victim came forward to file complaints", a Delhi Court last week granted bail to a man namely Nanda Ballabw Joshi arrested on suspicion of running an illegal visa racket.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Shailender Malik of the Patiala House Courts said, “No doubt, the 32 passports were recovered from the possession of the accused to admittedly accused/applicant was running a Tour and Travel agency. It is also noted in the case of the prosecution that passports recovered from the possession of the accused were fake, rather found to be genuine.”

The accused Nanda Ballabw Joshi was charged under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), 419 (Punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 465 (Punishment for forgery), 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 472 (making or possessing counterfeit seal, with intent to commit forgery) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 12 of the Passport Act.

The prosecution's case is that on November 25, 2022, police officials received confidential information that an illegal racket of forgery of Visa from various countries, bank account statements, and other documents required for Visa acquisition was operating in Delhi.

On the other hand, the counsel for Joshi contended that he had been falsely implicated in the case and that there was no evidence of any forgery or cheating. He also submitted that 32 passports recovered by the police were genuine. Furthermore, he submitted that the prosecution did not record statements of any aggrieved persons or complaints regarding alleged fake visas, etc.

Additionally, he contended that the co-accused Baldev Raj and Kuldeep Singh, in the present case, had already been granted bail and his case was also on the same footing.

The court noted that no one came forward to file a complaint about an alleged fake visa given or provided by the accused and since November 26, 2022, the accused had been in judicial custody and was no longer required for custodial interrogation or investigation.

Taking note of the circumstances of the case, the court held, “I am of the view that the accused is entitled to the bail upon the furnishing of bail bonds in the sum of Rs.50,000/- with one surety of the equal amount.” Accordingly, the application was disposed off.

Case Title: State v. Nanda Ballabw Joshi