Ukrainian actor arrested in forged birth certificate case

Mumbai, Feb 19 (PTI) Ukrainian actor Armen Ataine, previously arrested in connection with the Torres investment scam, was apprehended again on Wednesday for the alleged creation of a forged birth certificate to claim Indian nationality, officials said.

Ataine, along with two unidentified accomplices, was booked by Bhoiwada Police in central Mumbai on February 14.

The arrest follows a probe by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) into the Torres investment scam, during which a forged birth certificate was discovered. The document falsely claimed that Ataine was born in Mumbai and was issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Further investigation showed that Ataine had used the fake birth certificate to apply for an Indian passport, officials said.

A case was subsequently registered at Bhoiwada police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), an official said.

Ataine, currently in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the Torres investment fraud case, was taken into custody by police from jail on Wednesday in the forged birth certificate case.

He was later produced before a holiday court, where police requested his remand for further investigation.

The probe uncovered that Ataine had admitted the birth certificate was fake and confirmed his Ukrainian nationality. Despite knowing it was fraudulent, he allegedly used the document to file an online application at the passport office for obtaining Indian citizenship, police told the court.

During verification, he also submitted the forged birth certificate.

The Aadhaar card and the driving license of Ataine are also suspected to be fabricated. Police suspect that Ataine may have obtained additional forged documents to further support his false claim of Indian citizenship and are investigating whether he was helped by his accomplices in the process.

Police are also examining if he is part of a larger network involved in the creation and distribution of fake government documents.

The actor's lawyers, Vivek Tiwary and Trupen Rathod have denied the allegations, claiming that the actor is falsely implicated.

They said Ataine was arrested due to pressure from the EOW, immediately after filing an anticipatory bail application.

They claimed the actor was born in Mumbai, as indicated in the First Information Report (FIR), and has not forged any documents.

The court remanded the accused to police custody till February 21. PTI DC AV NSK

Source: PTI