Spelling errors land Sri Lankan refugee into trouble

by Rashmi Rajput

(April 23, Mumbai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Twenty-four-year-old Shivanandam Tisen, a war refugee from Sri Lanka, got a fake passport and visa, which had spellings different from the way the French Consulate spells English words, leading the Mumbai police to cross verify and arrest the man.

He had the perfect plan to get out of the country except for a few spelling errors. And it were those additional 'R's and 'N's that led to his arrest.

Also known as Nelson, Shivanandam was arrested by the Crime Investigation Unit of the Mumbai police in a fraud passport case last week.

It was the fake visa that let to Nelson's misery in which Pondicherry was spelt with two R's, though the French consulate spells it with a single 'R' and 'remark' spelt with an 'A' and 'professional' spelt the English way.

''We got in touch with the French Consulate in Mumbai and got the visa verified from them during the course of our investigations,'' said Ajay Sawant, investigating officer.

The police raided the hotel in south Mumbai on a tip-off and stumbled upon Nelson's plans to go to France for a job.

Since Nelson was a refugee, he didn't have a passport. His uncle helped him from France to make the fake passport and visa. Nelson is now under judicial custody.
- Sri Lanka Guardian