Sri Lankan family detained by Immigration officials at Chennai airport for fake passports; handed over to CB

The head of the family told the Immigration officials that he came to Tamil Nadu as a refugee in 2011 and has been living in Chennai with his family ever since.

Chennai:A Sri Lankan couple and their son and daughter were detained by immigration officials on landing at the Chennai International Airport on charges of using fake Indian passport and other documents, official sources said. The family has been accused of living in India on a fake Indian passport and other key documents including Aadhar card.

The accused head of the family has been identified asRamalan Salam (33) from Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ramalan and his wife, son and daughter were detained by the Immigration officials soon after they landed at the Chennai airport on Thursday at 10.45 am, an official said. He said that the family was found to be in possession of fake passports during checking of their travel documents.

Subsequently, Ramalam and his family members were detained by the Immigration officials and put to sustained interrogation. In the subsequent questioning, Ramalam told the Immigration officials that he came to Tamil Nadu as a refugee from Sri Lanka in the year 2011. Ramalam said that he stayed near Vandalur area of Tamil Nadu capital Chennai where he managed to get an Indian Aadhaar Card, Ration Card, PAN Card and other key documents to justify his stay in the country.

Ramalam said that on the basis of the Aadhar card and PAN card, he managed to get passports for him and his family for travel abroad. Interestingly, the Vandalur Otteri Police Station had verified the credentials before the Indian passports were verified to the Sri Lankan family, Ramalam added. However immigration officials deemed the Sri Lankan family's stay in Tamil Nadu as illegal saying it amounted to cheating with the Indian government.

The Airport immigration officials held consultations with the higher ups including the Chief Immigration Office in Delhi and the MEA. After detaining him at the Chennai airport, the airport resident officials informed the Central Crime Branch police in Chennai. A team of Central Crime Branch police personnel rushed to the airport and formally arrested the four of the Sri Lankan family.

The team took them to the Central Crime Branch police office in Chennai for further investigation in this regard.