A Maharajganj (UP) court has sentenced a US national to two years of imprisonment for attempting to enter India with fraudulent visa documents, as confirmed by a senior official on Saturday.
ASP Atish Kumar Singh stated that the court has also levied a fine of Rs 20,000 on Eric Daniel Beckwith (36).
Chief Judicial Magistrate Saurabh Srivastava delivered the judgement on Friday, pronouncing a two-year jail term for Beckwith. The court additionally ruled that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional 15 days of imprisonment.
According to the ASP, the US national was traveling to India from Nepal when the Immigration Department at the India-Nepal border in the Sonauli area scrutinized his documents. Subsequent investigations revealed that his visa documents were counterfeit, leading to his arrest on March 29.
A case was registered against Beckwith under the pertinent sections of the IPC and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act. The ASP noted that, in accordance with norms, the relevant embassy and intelligence agencies have been duly informed.
