Pune Man Arrested at Mumbai Airport for Tearing Passport Pages to Hide Bangkok Trips
Mumbai, 16th April 2025: A 51-year-old man from Pune was taken into custody at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Sunday after immigration officials discovered that several pages were missing from his passport, allegedly removed to conceal past international travel from his family.
The accused, identified as V.K. Bhalerao, had just landed in Mumbai following a weeklong vacation in Indonesia. During a routine inspection, immigration personnel noticed discrepancies in his passport and detained him for further questioning.
“Upon examination, we found that pages 17, 18, and 21 through 26 were deliberately torn out,” said Assistant Immigration Officer Rajiv Kumar, who filed the police complaint. “These pages carried immigration stamps related to multiple trips to Thailand made in 2023.”
Initially, Bhalerao declined to provide a reason for the tampering, police said. “His evasiveness raised suspicions. He was then presented before the on-duty immigration supervisor, who escalated the matter,” said an official from Sahar police station. “After detailed interrogation, he admitted to tearing out the pages to keep his previous visits to Bangkok hidden from his family.”
Bhalerao now faces legal consequences under Section 12 of the Passports Act, 1967, which prohibits willful damage to passport documents. He has also been charged under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for deceiving with intent to defraud.
“Tampering with a passport is a serious violation, not only because it breaches the law but also because it can compromise national security protocols,” said a senior immigration officer.
Bhalerao was placed under arrest and later produced before a magistrate court. Authorities are continuing their probe to determine if any further violations occurred during his foreign travels.
