Mangalore Air Crash: 2 passengers held for fake passports

Mangalore Air Crash: 2 passengers held for fake passports

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, August 20: Two passengers from Kerala who arrived by the Air India Express flight which crashed at Mangalore Airport on May 22 held fake passports belonging to two other original passport holders, a police inspector told the Court of Inquiry here on Thursday.

Venkatesh Prasanna of Crime Investigation Bureau, Mangalore told the court that both passengers died in the crash.He said Abdul Samad (52), s/o Hameed Ali, K.V. House, near Kochipolli, Kannur, Kerala faked the passport of Shanava Vellavathingal (29), s/o Mammedkoya Vellavathingal, Arakkinar, Thulamuttam Vayal, Kozhikode, Kerala. While Samad’s ticket number was IX 13315227, the passport number F-0606599 was that of Shavana Vellavathingal.

The other passenger — Mohamed Ashfaq — ticket number IX 13330841, had the passport number of F-3646893, belonging to Gonsalves Marian Ignatius (39), s/o John Rosario Gonsalves, No-8, Martin Chawl church compound, Vikhroli West, Mumbai.The inspector could not immediately furnish Ashfaq’s age and address.

He told the court that of the 158 persons who died in the crash, police collected and verified passport details of 135 passengers.

Information regarding passengers of Kerala were obtained from passport offices in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kannur. Details of passports of other passengers were awaited, he said.

Later in an informal chat with journalists, Mr. Prasanna said investigations revealed that the original passport holders had never travelled to an international destination.Asked why passport details were cross-checked, he said police here had information that there were 13 passengers on the flight with fake passports.

Thehindu