UP court sentences US national to two years in jail for illegal stay

Maharajganj, Dec 10 (IANS) A local court in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district has sentenced a 40-year-old US national to two years imprisonment for illegally staying in India on a forged visa.

Erik Daniel Beckwith has been in Maharajganj district jail since his arrest in March 2023.

Government counsel Ramesh Chandra said Beckwith was found guilty under IPC sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating and dishonesty) and the Foreigners' Act.

Chandra said the immigration officials had apprehended Beckwith on March 29 at the Indo-Nepal border in Sonauli.

"Upon inspection, it was discovered that Beckwith had tampered his visa after it expired. He was subsequently taken into custody," said Chandra.

Investigation revealed that Beckwith initially arrived in India on a tourist visa in June 2018. He later visited Nepal through Sunauli border.