Gandhinagar, Jan 31 (IANS): In an operation at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPI) on Wednesday, the Airport Police apprehended an individual for document forgery and violation of passport regulations.

The individual, Pankajkumar Dharmabhai Patel, hails from Jhulasan Village in Kadi taluka of North Gujarat.

Patel faced arrest following a complaint lodged by Immigration Officer Nilesh Salokhe, who was on duty during the incident.

Details from the complaint reveal that the episode unfolded in the wee hours of Wednesday, when Immigration Officer Salokhe was processing passengers from Qatar Airways flight QR-534, around 1:50 am.

Pankaj Patel approached the immigration counter number one and presented an Indian passport for clearance. Subsequent checks in the system exposed the passport as a forgery, allegedly issued under Shubham Mondal from Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.

After discovering the counterfeit document, Immigration Officer Salokhe initiated legal proceedings by filing a formal complaint against Pankaj Patel at the Airport Police Station.

The accused had reportedly arrived at SVPI Airport from the US before his apprehension.

The case has drawn attention due to the severe nature of the charges, encompassing Sections 465, 467, 468, and 471 of the IPC, alongside Section 12(2) of the Passport Act, marking a stringent response to document forgery and misuse.