17 foreigners booked for violating Visa norms

The police officers said that the foreign nationals are from the USA, UK, Russia, etc, who have come to Mumbai on tourist, business, and education visas and had been found to be working for a digital production house.

Mumbai: Seventeen foreign nationals were booked on Saturday for allegedly violating their visa conditions and working for a web series in India.

The Dahisar police have booked them under the Visa violation act and served them a notice since the punishment for the offence is less than five years. “We have informed Special Branch 2 about the case and will hand over the case papers to them for further action,” said a police officer. (Image for representation)

The police officers said that the foreign nationals are from the USA, UK, Russia, etc, who have come to Mumbai on tourist, business, and education visas and had been found to be working for a digital production house.

According to Pravin Patil, senior police inspector of Dahisar police station, the foreigners include 10 women and seven men.

“The actors in the main roles possess valid working visas however actors in the background were found to possess tourist, business and other such visas which do not allow them to work in India,” said Patil.

The Dahisar police have booked them under the Visa violation act and served them a notice since the punishment for the offence is less than five years. “We have informed Special Branch 2 about the case and will hand over the case papers to them for further action,” added Patil.

The production house had hired scouting agents who would provide for background artists who were not Indians as the script demanded it. The agents then found foreigners who were in Mumbai and asked them to play the roles for which they would be paid.

The foreigners who are in India on visas other than work visas accept the offer without giving a thought to the repercussions of their actions as some are not aware of the restrictions. Those who are aware take up the assignment assuming that it is a small part which they play and will not be considered as a proper job.