NEW DELHI, Jan 8: The Gujarat police have initiated the process of informing the British High Commission in Delhi about unearthing an illegal immigration scheme of sending a woman to Britain based on fabricated marriage certificate and subsequent divorce documents which came to light following a dispute over payment of money for arranging the illegal immigration.
The Palej police station in Bharuch district in Gujarat has also registered cases against “husband” Rizwan Meda, “wife” Taslimabanu Karbhari, her brother Faizal Karbhari, and their lawyer Sajid Kothiya under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 467 (forgery of a valuable security), 468 (committing forgery for cheating), and 471 (fraudulently or dishonestly using a forged document as genuine), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 177 (furnishing false information) and 114 (crime committed in presence of abettor).
According to Palej Police Inspector Anand Chaudhary, the police uncovered the illegal immigration scheme that relied on fabricated marriage and divorce documents to help a local woman enter the United Kingdom on a dependent visa. The case came to light after the man shown as the woman’s “husband” in the records approached police following a dispute over money that had allegedly been agreed upon for arranging the illegal migration.
Mr Chaudhary said the matter emerged when Rizwan Meda, a resident of Valan village in Bharuch district who is currently based in the UK, contacted the district police in October last year. He did so through a Power of Authority given to a friend, Minhaz Yaqub Ughrardhar.
According to Chaudhary, the complaint was filed because the two sides had fallen out over the amount that was supposed to be paid by the woman’s family. He said during the inquiry, officers discovered that Meda and others had planned the operation by preparing forged marriage certificates, known as nikahnamas, along with a fake court divorce order in order to complete the immigration process.
Police say the plan was put into action in February 2024. Meda allegedly used a forged marriage registration document that listed Jambusar resident Taslimabanu Karbhari as his wife. Based on this certificate, he began the process of applying for a UK visa for her through an agent, Shoaib Dawood Ikhkharia.
The visa was granted on the basis of the fake marriage document, after which Taslimabanu travelled to the UK as intended. Trouble began after she reached Britain. Chaudhary said a disagreement later arose over the money involved in the arrangement. The woman’s family had reportedly agreed to pay Rs 3.5 lakh to Meda for managing the visa process and for arranging a false divorce order.
He added that Meda later wanted to marry for real and bring his actual wife to the UK. However, because the financial dispute had not been resolved, he decided to approach the Bharuch police. Around the same time, Taslimabanu’s brother Faizal contacted the lawyer Sajid Kothiya to obtain a fabricated divorce order from a Bharuch court. According to police, the purpose of this document was to show that Meda and Taslimabanu were legally separated, effectively ending her status as his dependent.
Police allege that Meda and Taslimabanu later presented the fake divorce order as an authentic court document to complete their “separation” process in the UK. At the time, Taslimabanu was staying there with assistance from her brother Faizal, who is also based in Britain.
(Manas Dasgupta)
