Punjab youths forge death papers for visa

JALANDHAR: Youths from Punjab have devised a novel way to fly to foreign shores — forge death certificates of fake relatives in the UK to obtain visas on humanitarian grounds.
The fraud involves scanning a genuine death certificate issued by the UK and falsifying crucial details by making changes using a computer. The fudged document is then used to apply for a visa to attend a “relative’s funeral”.Britain issues visas on humanitarian grounds within a few days of receiving the applications. Once they reach the UK, the fraudsters go missing.
The swindle was first detected by the British high commission in Delhi after it noticed a sharp spurt in applications under “humanitarian ground” from Jalandhar. Suspecting foul play, the high commission asked Jalandhar police to probe.
According to police, all applications came from Punjab’s Doaba region, the biggest NRI belt in the state. They have arrested three travel agents who forged documents for Rs 6.5 lakh.