PUDUCHERRY: The CB-CID wing of the Puducherry police on Tuesday arrested a 30-year-old man, who was accused of impersonating by using fake documents and the French nationality certificate of another person to secure French citizenship four years back.
The arrested has been identified as Abdullah (30), who posed as one Ilangovan, based on a complaint from the latter, who is the son of Nadamuni.
Abdullah had gone to France four years ago and had come back to get married. He approached the French Consul General office in Puducherry to acquire some papers for his future wife.
The French Consul General Philippe Janvier Kamiyama told the reporters that the impersonator had produced fake documents to prove his identity as Ilangovan, when he had applied for securing a French passport and citizenship.
The Consul General’s office had received some complaints on the impersonator and these were probed following which the issue came to light.
According to sources, French national Nadamuni, before dying in a private hospital had handed over the French nationality certificates of his son Ilangovan and five of his family members to a person, who helped him.
However, the impersonater had managed to get one set of the French nationality certificate and using this and forging other relevant documents, he approached the French Consulate in Puducherry for citizenship. He was given the necessary go-ahead and reached France and was staying there.
After a complaint was made, the French Consul General’s office made enquires and found Ilangovan, who was unaware that a person has obtained French citizenship using his name and impersonating as him.
Kamiyama said impersonation is a serious crime and is the rape of a personality as one loses his or her identity. “It may be a new life with false identity” he added.
Suspecting that a racket may have also been the motive behind the whole incident, the French Consul General said the arrest of the imposter was a warning to those people involved in the racket.
The French Consulate is also making inquiries whether more French passports were issued to persons who may have followed a similar procedure. When contacted, CB-CID sources said the case was still under investigation and would come out with details of the incident on Wednesday.