Brazilian National Sentenced for Illegal Entry into India

A court in Maharajganj ruled against a Brazilian national, sentencing him to one year in prison for unauthorized entry into India from Nepal. The verdict included a monetary penalty of Rs 2,000.

Joaquim dos Santos Neto, a 37-year-old from Rio de Janeiro, faced charges stemming from an incident on October 8, 2024. Authorities in Sonauli, positioned at the Nepal-India border, identified him as a suspicious foreign individual crossing into India without appropriate travel documents.

During questioning, Neto admitted to travelling to Nepal and then proceeding to India without a valid visa. The police subsequently charged him under The Foreigners Act and progressed the case to court. Upon review, Chief Judicial Magistrate Mukesh Yadav found Neto guilty, issuing the one-year imprisonment and fine. Failure to pay will result in an additional three months of incarceration, as stated by public prosecutor Pravindra Kumar Diwakar.