Major security lapse in issuing visa to Rana couple

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) An inquiry has revealed that the
Indian Consulate in Chicago was guilty of a major security
lapse while issuing visas to Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-
Canadian arrested by the FBI for allegedly plotting terror
strikes in India, and his wife.

The 48-year-old Pakistan-born businessman based in
Chicago was issued a multi-entry visa for a period of one-year
and his spouse Samraz Rana Akhtar was given a five-year
multiple-entry visa by the Consulate last year which enabled
them to visit Mumbai and several other places in India days
before the 26/11 terror strikes in the financial capital of
the country. The visas were issued at the discretion of Indian
Consulate General.
An internal inquiry has shown that the residential
address provided in the visa applications by Rana couple does
not exist. Moreover, an immigration services company where
Rana claimed to have been employed told the Indian authorities
that he was never employed by them nor did they have a branch
in Mumbai as stated by him, official sources said today.
This flies in the face of the claim made by the Consulate
last week that it had done "due scrutiny" before issuing visas
to Rana and his wife. More PTI SKL
DDC


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