Can Tearing Pages From Your Passport Get You Arrested? 3 Other Weird Ways You Can Get Jailed In India

A 51-year-old man from Pune, Vijay Bhalerao, was recently arrested at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for tearing out pages from his passport. According to officials, Bhalerao was trying to hide his trips to Bangkok from his family and believed removing certain pages from his passport would help him do that. 

During a routine check, immigration officers noticed the missing pages and questioned him. He later confessed to intentionally damaging the document, leading to his arrest under sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and the Passport Act, as reported by India Today.

This unusual case raises an important question that how many people know that tearing pages from a passport is a punishable offence? And that’s just the beginning. India, with its unique legal quirks, has several surprising laws that could land you in jail. Below, we’ve highlighted a few other strange reasons someone could be arrested in the country.

3 Weird Ways You Can Get Jailed in India

1) Flying a Kite Without a Permit

Believe it or not, according to the Aircraft Act of 1934, even flying a kite without a proper license can be considered a legal offence in India. The law defines a kite (and even a balloon) as a type of ‘aircraft,’ which means anyone operating one must have authorisation for its use, production, and upkeep.

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If someone is caught violating this rule, they could face not just a hefty fine but also jail time. The law gets even more bizarre under Section 11, which states that if an aircraft, including kites or balloons is flown in a way that poses a ‘danger,’ the person responsible can face up to two years in prison, a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh, or both. Strange, but true!

2) Playing Loud Music After 10 PM

In India, playing loud music, including during weddings, can lead to legal trouble if it breaches noise pollution regulations. The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Act, 2000 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986, along with other rules, regulate noise levels. Specifically, the use of loudspeakers is prohibited between 10 pm and 6 am, and even during the day, the noise must remain within acceptable decibel limits. Breaking these rules can result in fines and, in some cases, imprisonment, especially if a court has ordered the noise to stop and the violation continues.

3) Tearing Pages From Passport

According to Section 17 of the Passports Act, 1967, a passport is considered the property of the Government of India, and intentionally damaging or altering it is deemed as destroying government property. 

We spoke with legal expert Saumya Brajmohan, Partner at Solomon & Co, who explained, "As a passport is government property, any deliberate defacement or alteration of it, or any entries within it can result in punishment under the Passports Act, 1967. The offender could face up to 2 years in prison, a fine of INR 5000, or both. Moreover, if the passport is altered to forge information or mislead authorities, and is then used for travel or to establish false identity, it may also invoke additional penalties under Sections 336(2) and 340(2) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023."

If you have damaged your passport, Saumya Brajmohan advised the following steps based on the Passport Rules, 1980:

• Identify the Extent of Damage: The passport will be categorised based on the level of damage:
• Damaged passport: The passport number is still readable, the name is legible, and the photo remains intact.
• Damaged beyond recognition: The passport is no longer readable or usable.
• Report to the Regional Passport Office (RPO): Regardless of the damage type, you must report the issue to the nearest Regional Passport Office (RPO).
• Submit an Application: After reporting the damage, you are required to submit an application to the RPO requesting the reissuance of your passport. The application should include an affidavit following Annexure “F” of the Passport Rules, which will contain:

- Proof of identity

- Proof of address

- Recent passport-sized photographs

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• RPO Review: The RPO will review the application and affidavit, and further steps will be taken according to the guidelines specified in the rules.

By following these steps, you can initiate the process of getting your damaged passport reissued.

Keep reading Herzindagi for more such stories.

Credits: Freepik