lucknow

Updated: Apr 07, 2018 10:37 IST

Ukrainian model Daria Molcha, 20, who was arrested from a city hotel on April 3 by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on charges of staying illegally in India without a valid visa, has revealed details of her ‘Indian friends’ who facilitated her entry into the country via Nepal using fake documents, including a forged Indian driving licence, the police said.

Based on the revelations by Daria, who is currently lodged in Gorakhpur district jail, police and security agencies are preparing to interrogate her ‘Indian friends’, including Gorakhpur-based Anuj Poddar and Delhi-based Imsham Kashif, both businessmen.

The police said they found objectionable photographs of Daria with a senior Delhi cop, an airport official and some Kolkata cadet officers on her smart phones and tablets. This led them to believe that the Ukrainian model may have been used as a honey trap to procure confidential information related to internal security and hence they alerted the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

STF inspector Satya Prakash told mediapersons that the model, who was arrested with 18,000 US dollars, smart phones and tablets, was booked under sections of IPC dealing with document forgery, committing fraud and under the Foreigners Act.

According to STF officials, Daria entered the country illegally sometime in March this year and stayed at Imsham’s house in New Friends Colony for 15 days before flying to Gorakhpur using fake documents on April 2. She was then scheduled to leave for the Gulf via Nepal with Anuj Poddar. However, before she could leave, the STF nabbed her in Gorakhpur.

Assuring stern action against those who helped her illegal stay in the country, SSP Shalabh Mathur said, “A fake driving licence has been recovered from the Ukrainian model who had crossed into India without any valid visa. The issue is serious. Those who helped her cross the border and also gave her shelter are under scanner and action will be taken against them. For now a probe is on. Soon the whole racket will be busted.”

As per reports, Daria first arrived in India in 2016 and stayed here for some time. She worked as a model with Karma modeling agency and to increase her contact she started visiting Urban Club where she came in contact with Poddar and Imsham Kashif. However, due to her suspicious activities, her visa was blacklisted and she left the country.

In December 2017, she again arrived in India on a tourist visa but was made to return from the airport due to the government ban on her stay in the country.

However, in March this year Daria again entered the country using fake documents that she obtained with the help of her Poddar and Imsham. Police and security agencies are also probing why she continued to visit India despite a ban and her purpose of befriending Indians and reasons to visit China in 2013 along with other Gulf countries before moving to India.