A German, arrested on charges of violating India’s visa rules by falsifying the validity date, was sentenced to 14 months by a court in Sonbhadra on Monday. The court also imposed a fine ₹500 on it.

Senior Public Prosecutor Satish Verma said Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Yadav sentenced Holger Erik Misch, a resident of Berlin, after hearing arguments from both sides, examining evidence and witness statements, and Misch’s admission of guilt during the trial.

Verma said Misch was released because he had already served time in prison.

“The guarantee submitted by the accused is cancelled. As the accused is in India for the last few years, it is not possible to impose a bond sentence on him. Therefore, the accused is released from the obligation of bond. The period already served by the accused in prison will be adjusted during the period of his sentence. A copy of the judgment must be provided free of charge to the accused,” the court order states.

In November 2017, Misch had an altercation with a railway employee at Robertsganj railway station in Sonbhadra district and also attacked him with a stick.

An FIR has been registered against him under 14A Foreigners Act (for entering restricted areas without valid documents), 419 IPC (cheating by impersonation) and IPC 420 (fraud), he said. The railway employee claimed that when he greeted Erik by saying “welcome to India”, the German hit him, although Erik claimed that he was beaten by the railway employee.

The GRP arrested him and handed him over to the Robertsganj Kotwali police. When the police checked his passport and visa, it was found that the validity date of the visa had been extended from January 24, 2017 to June 24, 2017.

During the interrogation, the German citizen admitted his mistake and said that he changed the date by forgery. A case was registered with the relevant sections and he was sent to jail.