Lucknow: A 43-year-old Thai national was arrested at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) Sonauli on the India-Nepal border in Maharajganj district after officials alleged they found digital copies of Indian identity documents bearing a different name on her mobile phone, immigration sources said.The woman, identified as Chon Chutichiraphat, reached the immigration counter around 6.30 pm on Aug 16 while entering India from Nepal. She was travelling on a Thai passport issued in Nov 2021 and valid until Nov 2031, according to the FIR.Officials said she held a five-year multiple-entry Indian tourist visa valid until April 4, 2028. During routine scrutiny, immigration staff reviewed her travel history and allegedly found that she was a frequent visitor to India. Sources said she had repeatedly travelled to Nepal and returned to India, a pattern officials suspected was aimed at resetting or “regularising” the 90-day stay typically permitted under tourist visa conditions.Immigration personnel said the traveller drew attention during profiling because she spoke fluent Hindi and described herself as a Krishna devotee living in India. Her language fluency and travel pattern led to extended questioning, sources said.According to the FIR, immigration supervising officer Hina Tomar noticed discrepancies during document checks and initiated further verification. After questioning, officials concluded the papers presented were not genuine and took the woman into custody, sources said.During examination of her phone, officials allegedly recovered digital copies of an Indian voter ID card, Aadhaar card and PAN card. Sources said the voter ID carried the name “Karuna Rupni Devi Dasi.” The woman allegedly told officials she was married to an Indian national, Mitralal Khanal, and claimed she ran an online clothing business in India and received rental income.The FIR states she allegedly admitted that Indian documents had been prepared using an altered name and address. She was handed over to Sonauli police for further legal action.Police registered a case on Monday under Sections 319(2), 336(3), 338 and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators are probing how the documents were allegedly obtained and whether any facilitators were involved. She was produced before a court in Maharajganj and remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody.
