MUMBAI: A passenger was detained at Mumbai International Airport on Thursday before boarding his flight to Thailand after immigration officials discovered that he had tampered with 12 pages of his passport to conceal his previous travel records to Bangkok and Thailand.
Sahar police arrested the passenger, identified as Tushar Pawar (33), who claimed that he committed the offence to avoid a confrontation with his wife, who was unaware of his prior three trips.
Pawar, a logistics business operator and graduate residing with his family in Satara, is currently in judicial custody after being booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 318 (4) for cheating and the Indian Passport Act.
“Pawar was travelling on an official trip to Thailand with his client when he was detained. During interrogation, Pawar admitted to gluing together 12 pages of his passport to conceal his previous travel records to Bangkok and Thailand in 2023 and 2024 from his wife,” said a police officer from Sahar police station.
The immigration official stopped Pawar upon discovering that pages 3 to 10 and 17 to 20 were glued together. Immigration official AS Mittal stated in the complaint, “Pawar failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for sticking the 12 pages when presented before wing incharge Prashant Sawant. He confessed that he had travelled to Thailand with friends, and his wife was unaware.”
A Sahar police officer noted, “This time, Pawar was travelling on an official trip with his client, and his wife was aware. If he had informed his wife about his past trips, he could have avoided this situation. Instead, his actions at the airport led to complications and his arrest. He awaits a bail hearing scheduled for Monday.”
The investigation continues as authorities work to resolve the case.
