On January 18, Mumbai police booked Faraz Malik, the son of former Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik, in a case pertaining to the alleged submission of forged documents for his wife Hamleen’s visa extension.
Mumbai | Case registered against former Maharashtra minister & NCP leader Nawab Malik’s son Faraz Malik at Kurla PS in connection with fake documents given for the Visa application: Mumbai Police
— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2023
The Kurla police have filed a case against Faraz and his wife Hamleen, a French citizen, for violating the Foreigners Act of 1946 and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
According to reports, the case was registered based on a complaint filed by a Special Branch officer who discovered that Laura Hamleen had, in 2019, submitted a forged marriage certificate. The forged certificate was submitted in order to convert a tourist visa into an Entry-X1 – a special visa available to foreigners who have married Indian nationals. The complainant said that the forged married certificate, claiming that she had married Faraz, was submitted for converting her tourist visa into an Entry X1 visa as her visa was to expire on September 9, 2019.
“The case is registered against the duo on charges of cheating, forgery, forgery for the purpose of cheating, using as genuine a forged document or electronic record, and common intention under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Foreigners Act 1946,” Manoj Patil, DCP, zone V, said.
Meanwhile, another officer attached to the Kural Police Station said, “Hamleen said her wedding was on April 27, 2015, at Grand Yashodan Hall at Kalina Road, Kurla. She had also submitted supporting documents in this regard.”
The special branch had also called Faraz for questioning as he was earlier married to Bushra Sandusha and had two daughters from that marriage.
“Faraz had not divorced his first wife but had married Hamleen and was staying with her. As Hamleen was pregnant, the officials took it as a case of emergency and instead of converting her visa into Entry X1, gave her an Entry X-Misc visa which was extended till November 23, 2020. Later when she again applied to get her visa converted into Entry X1, the authorities wrote to the L ward office of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for verification of the marriage certificate,” the police officer said.
Civic officials notified the police that, despite the fact that Faraz had applied for a marriage certificate online, it had not been provided to him because he had not submitted the required paperwork.
“Despite knowing that their marriage certificate was fake, Faraz and Hamleen gave it to the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer and the special branch to get a permanent visa for her,” the police officer said.
“We will inquire into all aspects and then decide the further course of action,” Patil said.
Notably, Nawab Malik himself is currently placed in the Arthur Road Jail since March 7, 2022. ED had arrested the NCP leader for alleged links with Dawood Ibrahim. On 21st April 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted the charge sheet against the NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in Special PMLA court, in connection with the Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case. The charge sheet contained 5,000 pages and includes a statement of witnesses and other documentary evidence.
Besides, Sameer Khan, the son-in-law of Nawab Malik, was also arrested by NCB in a drug case in 2021.
