A Goa resident, Pankaj Choure, was apprehended in Chennai on Saturday after allegedly submitting forged documents to obtain a passport, police said. The arrest follows a dramatic escape from the Panaji passport office in Patto on June 30, where Choure fled during a routine verification when officials grew suspicious of his paperwork.

Choure, from Khorlim village near Mapusa in North Goa, had applied for a passport through an online portal, providing falsified documents, including an Aadhaar card with a fake address. After he absconded, Panaji police launched a manhunt, employing technical and human intelligence to track him to Chennai. With assistance from Chennai police, a Panaji police team detained him and is bringing him back to Goa for formal arrest.

The incident highlights growing concerns over fraudulent passport applications, with authorities urging vigilance in document verification. A case will be registered against Choure under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for forgery and cheating, police said. Further investigation is underway to determine if others were involved in the scheme.

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