Panaji: A Mapusa court held that the arrest of a Ukrainian national for allegedly staying in India without a valid visa was unnecessary and that the police should instead have sent him to the foreigners regional registration office (FRRO) to complete the required formalities.41-year-old Ukrainian national Dmytro Stepanov said he was stopped near Mandrem police station and was asked to produce his documents, but was arrested despite fully cooperating with the police. He told the court that he was unable to return to Ukraine due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.His advocate, K Poulekar said Stepanov had already applied for a visa through a friend. Poulekar argued that police could have forwarded him to the FRRO office and granted him time to complete the necessary formalities.The investigating officer said Stepanov had entered India on a valid passport and visa, but the visa later expired. He added that the accused was issued a UN Refugee Agency card, which is valid until July 2027. The court granted him bail and directed him to expedite the process of obtaining a valid visa from the FRRO office, and to present the proof to the investigating officer.
