Deported Iranian student returns via Nepal,arrested

Following specific inputs,a police team conducted searches at Heritage Building in Undri on NIBM Road and found Momeni living with his friend Peyghambari Mohammed,also from Iran. Investigation revealed that Momeni was staying illegally in Pune without a passport or visa documents.

An offence under the Passport Act was registered against him at the Kondhwa police station. Senior Inspector Pandharinath Mandhare said a magistrate court remanded him in police custody for two days. After that,he was sent to magisterial custody and is currently lodged at Yerawada jail.

Police said Momeni had registered himself with the FRO on September 16,2008. He had come to Pune for pursuing B.Com from the University of Pune (UoP) as an external student. Police deported him to Iran on April 13,2009,as his documents were fake. Not allowed to enter India after deportation,he allegedly went to Qatar from Iran. From Qatar he went to Nepal,where he crossed the border and reached Pune illegally without a passport or visa after May 2009.

During interrogation,Momeni reportedly told police that he failed his exam and had returned to India via Nepal for clearing his backlog subjects. Police found his admit card for October 2012 and 2013 exams. Police sources said foreigners know there are less restrictions at Nepal border. “It is a matter of concern that deported foreigners,such as Momeni,are using the Nepal route to come back,” an official said.

Senior Inspector Mahesh Joshi of FRO (prosecution cell) said they have not found Momeni’s involvement in anything suspicious so far,but his coming back to India illegally after being deported is a serious offence.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (FRO) Rajendra Mane said,“We have deported and issued leave India notices to many foreigners for violation of laws. We welcome and support foreigners who come legally and follow the rules. But illegal activities cannot be ignored.”

In 2013 so far,the FRO has deported 55 foreigners and issued leave India notices to 140 for violation of laws. Police said of these 195 foreigners,nearly 125 are students.

Recently,Joseph Msuya (30),a Tanzania national,who came to India on a student visa in October 2010,was arrested for overstaying in the city for two and a half years. He took admission in a technical institute but later,without seeking FRO’s permission,joined a software engineering course at NIIT. Msuya continued to stay in Pune even after his visa expired on February 28,2011. A magistrate court convicted him on October 10,2013. After serving a sentence of 14 days and paying a fine of Rs 8,000,the police deported him recently.

Sources said the police are keeping a close watch on suspicious foreigners. There have been cases of deportation of foreigners such as Mostafa Safavi of Iran,a research student doing his PhD on ‘managing crime in e-world’ from the UoP,who was suspected to be a spy.

‘Alert cops about foreigners who overstay in the city’

Police Inspector Mahesh Joshi has appealed to citizens to inform the FRO prosecution cell at 02026128105 about suspicious foreigners and those overstaying in city. The officer said,“Foreigners found overstaying for over a year are deported and for about six months are being given ‘leave India’ notices. Action is also taken against those found involved in undesirable activities.”