Passport
Shenzen is a big city in China. I have traveled by road from Hong Kong to Shenzeng. Hong
Kong airport is a different airport where the ferry comes almost inside the airport
and you can even transfer the luggage directly from the flight to ferry.
On arrival at Hong kong visa is granted,but to enter Shenzhen separate visa and
emigration is required. So I am at the emigration gate of Shenzen and the Chinese
police took my passport for their usual examination. I could see from outside they are scanning the first page , back page, inside
papers, but something seems to be wrong as far as they are concerned. Then they started consultations between the counters. I guessed that he is not getting the entries right in his computer. I
got tensed up, because of an incident happened at Chennai
passport office before I started this trip. I ruminated for a moment..
....I
was summoned to Chennai when I was waiting for the Tatkal passport. I went to Chennai and met the Passport officer in his cabin.
He
said " You have taken another passport in Chennai address". We are
contemplating legal action against you for the fraud, he shouted. I could not imagine what he was telling me. But I got scared. I then told him that
"
Sir, I have never stayed in Chennai and I am a government officer" you can
verify my records of postings and I have never been posted to Chennai." This happened
before my posting to Chennai. (Before 2004)
Your
name is Varghese Joy. Right ?. 19 May 1959 is your birthday ?. Isn't. It ?.
Computer says, "you are holding another passport". We will give you two days, if
you prove that you are different from the other Varghese Joy, we will
leave you free. But the onus of proving your identity and innocence lies with you, he added.
I
stayed for another day and got the first file of other Varghese Joy with great difficulty. When
the passport office was computerized, the photo of old files were not uploaded along with other data.
When I collected the file, the photo of that person was different. The computer
blocked my case because the name and date of birth was matching.
The computer blocking was correct. I took the file to the officer
and he verified the file and looked at me. He was satisfied and closed the case. New passport was issued to me.
When
the Chinese police officer was doing all that he could do with my
passport, my mind inside was replaying the entire incident. I thought, the same Varghese records might be creating the problem now ?. Any way, After some questioning , He let me
off and allowed to go.
It is very rare that we come across another person with same name and same date of birth in our life. Not everyone will be asked to prove their identity like this too. Really strange.