Mumbai: 22-Year-Old’s Attempt to Secure Canadian Residency Foiled by Fake Marksheet; Arrested

Mumbai, 6th August 2023: Immigration authorities have successfully thwarted the plans of a 22-year-old man attempting to secure permanent residency in Canada through fraudulent means, utilizing a bogus marksheet to obtain a student visa.

Mikinkumar Pankajkumar Patel, the young individual in question, has been apprehended by the Sahar police for his involvement in the procurement of a visa under false pretenses. Subsequently, he has been remanded to police custody by the local Andheri court, charged with the aforementioned offense.

Mikinkumar Patel hails from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and aspired to establish a permanent life in Canada. Faced with obstacles in obtaining a Canadian visa using his genuine educational credentials from Gujarat, Patel resorted to fabricating counterfeit marksheets for his 10th and 12th grade education, purportedly from the Maharashtra State Board of Education. With the assistance of an agent named Bharat Shah, he sought to secure a Canadian visa by enrolling for a Diploma in Health Services at Sheridan College, for which he reportedly paid Bharat Shah one million rupees.

On Wednesday at 7:65 pm, Mikinkumar Patel was slated to depart for Canada, with a transit stop in Dubai. His journey was set to commence from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.

However, upon meticulous scrutiny of his passport, visa, and accompanying documents, it came to light that he had procured a spurious student visa. When questioned regarding the inconsistencies, Patel failed to provide satisfactory explanations. Further probing prompted a request for his educational records, at which point he produced a purported 12th-grade marksheeet from the Maharashtra State Board of Education. Upon verification, it was evident that the presented marksheets were fraudulent. Consequently, he was handed over to the Sahar police for subsequent investigation.

In response to a formal complaint lodged by Mayur Bansilal Sale, an immigration officer, the police registered a case against Mikinkumar Patel. Swift action ensued, leading to Patel’s arrest soon after the case was filed. Presently, he remains in police custody, undergoing interrogation.

Authorities are actively pursuing Bharat Shah, the agent who facilitated the fraudulent visa acquisition, in connection with the case.