An Indian student from Punjab will be prosecuted by an Indian court for allegedly forging documents in a bid to get student visa for Australia, (PTI) reports.
Patiala resident, Ravneet Singh Cheema has been accused of forging a sponsorship letter submitted to the Australian High Commission in India to acquire a student visa.
Cheema’s counsel told the Delhi court that his client wishes to pursue higher studies in Australia and had handed over his passport to Devender Singh Rajput for visa application.
He paid INR 1.23 lakh as fee, the court heard.
The counsel told the court that it was Rajput who had submitted the visa application with forged documents and not his client, Cheema.
The petitioner, Cheema, filed an appeal, seeking setting aside of a magisterial court order on framing of charges against him for forgery and using forged document as genuine.
But Delhi court’s additional sessions Judge Reetesh Singh dismissed this appeal, upholding the magisterial court’s judgement, saying “prima facie there is sufficient material before trial court to frame charge against the petitioner (Cheema)”.
“As far as the present case is concerned, an application for grant of visa signed by the petitioner (Cheema) has been delivered to the Australian High Commission appended with a sponsorship letter which has been found to be forged,” the court said.
The prosecution opposed Cheema’s plea saying that Cheema admittedly signed on the application for grant of visa which was submitted to the Australian High Commission.
Along with the visa application a sponsorship letter had been enclosed which was found to be forged, the prosecution said.
It said whether it was Cheema who did the crime is a matter of trial and cannot be considered at the stage of charge.
