Court grants bail to navy officer in South Korean visa racket case

The sessions court recently granted bail to Indian navy official, sub-lieutenant Brahma Jyoti Sharma, arrested by the Mumbai crime branch in connection with the South Korean visa racket case. Sharma was the alleged mastermind behind the racket

MUMBAI: The sessions court recently granted bail to Indian navy official, sub-lieutenant Brahma Jyoti Sharma, arrested by the Mumbai crime branch in connection with the South Korean visa racket case. Sharma was the alleged mastermind behind the racket which purportedly sent individuals to South Korea on tourist visas, using forged documents.

Court grants bail to navy officer in South Korean visa racket case

The crime branch claimed that Sharma’s role in the syndicate was major, as he had collected various documents from co-accused Deepak Mehra and sent them to fellow navy officer Vipin Dagar, who was found in possession of 14 Indian passports in the names of different persons, a stamp machine for fake stamps, 108 rubber stamps, and rubber sheet for creating forged and fabricated documents for obtaining passports/visa.

Investigators claimed that the syndicate had trafficked more than 15 unskilled labourers from India to South Korea using forged documents and charged over ₹10 lakh from each.

Sharma’s lawyer said he was falsely implicated in the crime and was not a beneficiary of the proceeds of crime, and also claimed parity, as a co-accused was released on bail.

Additional sessions judge VM Pathade, in a detailed order passed on December 6, observed that Sharma has been under detention since June 29, 2024. “The trial is yet to commence and there is no likelihood of the trial being concluded in the near future,” observed the court, and granted bail to Sharma.