Allahabad High Court rejected the bail plea of a Chinese national, noting evidence that he stayed in India using a forged passport and Aadhaar card, engaged in mobile chip extraction, and posed a threat to India’s economic interests.
The Allahabad High Court denied the bail request of a Chinese national accused of possessing a counterfeit Indian passport, a fraudulent Aadhaar card, and a fake visa.
In his ruling, Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal noted the significance of India’s relationship with China, expressing concerns that the accused, Xue Fei Koei, might flee the country illegally if granted bail, similar to another co-accused who remains untraceable.
Additionally, the court highlighted the absence of an extradition treaty between India and China.
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The court stated,
“It is clear that there is material in the case diary which shows that the applicant was staying in India on the basis of a forged passport and Aadhaar card and was involved in illegal extraction of mobile chips and processors and sending them to China. He is indirectly involved in economic offences as well as in causing a threat to the economic interests of India,”
The court further emphasized that the potential for Koei to evade justice is substantial, especially considering another co-accused, Tansong Dorji, has already left and is still missing. The lack of an extradition treaty means that if Koei fled the country, it would be difficult to apprehend him.
According to the prosecution, two Chinese nationals Yuyan Heyang and Loo Long were apprehended while attempting to enter India via the Nepal border.
Information from their arrest led to Koei’s capture, during which a counterfeit passport and Aadhaar card, bearing the name Laakpa Sherpa, were confiscated.
Investigations revealed that Koei had illegally extended his visa’s validity until 2022, although it had expired in 2020, and he had rented an apartment using these forged documents.