US national gets 2 years in jail for trying to enter India on fake visa

Maharajganj: A local court here has sentenced a US national to two years imprisonment for trying to cross over to India on fake visa documents, a senior official said on Saturday.

The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him, ASP Atish Kumar Singh said.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Saurabh Srivastava on Friday pronounced the judgement sentencing Eric Daniel Beckwith (36), to two years of jail.

The court also said that he would have to undergo an additional 15 days imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine.

The ASP said the US national was coming to India from Nepal when his documents were checked by the Immigration Department in the Sonauli area of the India-Nepal border and after investigation, his visa documents were found to be fake. He was arrested on March 29.

A case was registered against him under the relevant sections of the IPC and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

The ASP said that as per the norms, the concerned embassy and intelligence agencies have been informed.