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New Delhi: A local court in Uttar Pradesh has sentenced a Chinese national to eight years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 after concluding that she entered India unlawfully while disguised as a Buddhist monk. The ruling marks the end of a two-year case that began when security forces intercepted her on the India-Nepal border.
The incident occurred on December 2, 2023, when personnel from the 42nd Battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal halted the woman at the Rupaideha border outpost. She was reportedly attempting to move towards Nepal while dressed in monastic robes, a choice of attire that immediately drew suspicion among the security staff on duty.
During routine checks they determined that she lacked valid documentation to be present in India.
Investigators later identified her as forty five year old Li Xinmei, also known as Li Shin Mei, a citizen of the Republic of China from Shandong province. Her passport carried a Nepal visa that was valid from mid November 2023 until mid February 2024. Despite holding a visa for Nepal, officials concluded that her entry into India had not followed legal procedures.
Her inability to communicate in either Hindi or English required the presence of an interpreter during questioning.
Security personnel seized a collection of foreign items and documents during the search. These included her passport, a Chinese citizenship card, several ATM cards, a mobile phone, earphones, a small massager, a memory book and a religious text printed in Chinese. Each item was catalogued as part of the investigation and later presented in the chargesheet filed in December 2023 at Rupaideha police station.
She was booked under Section 14A of the Foreigners Act, which deals with illegal entry and stay by foreign nationals.
The court, presided over by Additional District and Sessions Judge Kavita Nigam, reviewed the evidence and determined that Li had indeed crossed into India without authorisation. The judge concluded that the circumstances surrounding her disguise and travel route underscored an attempt to bypass immigration checks. The eight year sentence reflects the seriousness with which the court viewed the offence.
In addition to the prison term, the court directed her to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 and stated that a further six months of imprisonment would be imposed if she fails to pay the amount.
