Lucknow: The investigation into foreign national Jordan Brown’s arrest near the India-Nepal border has taken a new turn after Maharajganj police concluded that the 36-year-old is a British citizen from London, not an American from California as he had claimed during questioning.Officials said the findings have led police to add charges related to identity fraud, impersonation and furnishing false information, alleging that Brown misrepresented his nationality to make travel and entry into India easier.Brown was arrested on July 11 by personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Sonauli police after he allegedly tried to cross into Nepal through an unauthorised route without a valid passport or visa. He was produced before a court on July 13 and was initially sent to 14 days’ judicial custody. Investigators later secured custodial remand until July 24 to allow sustained interrogation involving state police, the Local Intelligence Unit and central intelligence agencies.During interrogation, police said Brown repeatedly described himself as a US citizen from California. Investigators, however, said verification through multiple agencies, along with scrutiny of his digital devices and travel records, indicated that he is a UK national from London. Police believe he deliberately concealed his real nationality to reduce scrutiny while moving across India.Officials said the National Investigation Agency is likely to seek Brown’s custody after digital evidence recovered from his damaged mobile phones reportedly indicated links to Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), an organisation already under NIA investigation.Investigators said Brown provided shifting and contradictory accounts of his background and purpose in India.At various points, he allegedly claimed to be a former US Navy SEAL and also suggested he had travelled on a contractual assignment. Police said they suspect the conflicting narratives were meant to confuse investigators and conceal his identity and intent.His account of how he reached Sonauli is also being examined. Brown claimed he arrived in a private vehicle, but investigators said available evidence suggests he travelled to the border on a state-run bus.Police are additionally verifying Brown’s claim that he came to India to marry a yoga instructor from Uttarakhand.Investigators are probing references Brown made to three individuals identified as Raj, Chetan and Naz. Brown claimed Naz guided him to an unofficial crossing point before fleeing after SSB personnel appeared, but police said inquiries have not yet established the identities or existence of the three.
