The court in the Indian state of Goa has sentenced a Russian tourist to one-year imprisonment over the expired Indian visa.
Alexander Solomin from Russia did not prolong his monthly Indian visa, expired on April 25.
He was arrested on May 29 after he came to police to get the exit permit. The court passed a guilty verdict in three weeks. Solomin was put behind the bars before the text of the verdict was unveiled.
Usually the tourists in Goa with the expired visas pay $100-fine and leave the country, a local lawyer, Vicram Varma said.
This crime is considered to be major since it was against Indian nation, the verdict, announced on Saturday, said.
"Usually such cases last for years, but in this case it took 21 days from the arrest to the hearings...It is absolutely inconceivably why the expired visa was called a crime against nation. After all, Solomin is not Pakistani, Russia and India have good relationship," Varma said.
NEW DELHI, August 14 (RIA Novosti)
