Mr. Kanthaiah Mallaiah Pembi, a 46-year-old resident of Telangana, was denied bail by the Sessions Court at Dindoshi, Borivali Division, Mumbai. Pembi has been accused of forging documents to obtain an Indian passport under false pretenses. He is currently facing charges under the Passport Act and various other legal provisions for using fabricated documents and providing false information to the authorities.
The case against Pembi was registered at Sahar Police Station, Mumbai, under Crime No. 776 of 2024. The charges include offenses under Sections 340(2), 336(3), 336(2), and 318(4) of the Bombay National Security Act (BNS) of 2023, as well as Section 12 of the Passport Act, 1967.
The prosecution alleges that Pembi obtained two passports using fraudulent methods. His first passport, bearing number G2085165, was issued in the name of Kanthaiah Pembi with a date of birth of February 4, 1977. However, he later obtained a second passport, bearing number Y9224358, where his date of birth was altered to August 16, 1996. The prosecution claims that this second passport was obtained from the Passport Office in Hyderabad using false documents and fabricated information. Furthermore, Pembi is accused of concealing his earlier passport from the Passport Authority when applying for the second one.
According to the prosecution, Pembi’s plan was discovered when he attempted to travel to Muscat from Mumbai, using the fraudulent passport. A complaint was subsequently lodged on September 21, 2024, leading to the registration of the case and his subsequent arrest.
During the bail hearing, the defense argued that the charges under the Bombay National Security Act were not applicable to Pembi and that he was being falsely implicated. However, the court found the accusations serious, particularly the falsification of important documents such as a passport. The Additional Sessions Judge, M.H. Pathan, ruled that the case was still in its preliminary stages of investigation, with crucial documents yet to be verified by the concerned authorities.
Judge Pathan emphasized the severity of the charges, stating that the applicant had submitted false information to obtain government-issued identification, which poses a serious threat to national security. Given the ongoing investigation and the potential for further revelations, the court denied bail, concluding that a prima facie case had been established against the accused.
The denial of bail keeps Pembi in custody as the investigation continues into his alleged passport forgery and his attempted travel abroad using fraudulent documentation.
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