First Experience of Document Attestation in India. Touts, Frauds and Fake Stamps.

Touts, Frauds and Fake Stamps

Moving abroad is always charming but documentation is extremely boring. Let us start the timeline when I was moving to Middle East for my first foreign assignment.

January 2008: It was final. I was moving abroad. Interview had gone well and I was selected. Employer had sent a email with a long list of documents. They need my duly attested educational certificates to be submitted at earliest. I have no idea of attestation procedures but help poured in and one of my friend who had gone through all these procedures, made things simple. With contact details, I reached Patiala House court in Central Delhi. The moment, I stepped out of Auto; touts stormed in. It took me five minutes to find the guy and in those five minutes tens of touts had made their service proposals.

My Graduation Degree was from state of Haryana. New procedures mandated certificates be attested in State Capitals and then by Ministry of External Affairs. Tout; Mr. Bunty explained that it will cost INR 3500. His men will take documents to Chandigarh for State HRD attestation and then another attestation will be done from MEA, New Delhi. I accepted his proposals. It was not possible for me to take a leave from office and visit Chandigarh. I will regret this decision of mine after three years. He told me that if I want to do all procedures myself, official fees is INR 3000. I believed him, do not know why!! and agreed for the deal.

Five days after, I was there again for collection of documents. I checked the Stamps, the first one was fake. The Date of first attestation was before than I had submitted the documents to him. But damage had been done. Other stamp which was based on first, looked genuine. He guaranteed that there will not be any issue. And if something happens, he will take responsibility. Embassy authenticated the second stamp only which looked genuine and I moved abroad.

September 2011:  I was there again in same Patiala House Complex after three and half years. Clock has moved a lot but touts were still there. I was moving to North America and Embassy told me to get the different attestations because the old ones, did not applicable to Hague Convention countries. Bunty was not there. His phone was not answering. I inquired and people told me that he had changed his profession. Other touts offered help but I decided to do things myself. INR 55 was charge for attestation; It was surprising. Examiner told me that HRD, Haryana was fake. I insisted, it is real. He said that they will verify the stamps and if it was found to be fake they will keep the certificate with them. I stepped back, took the certificate, came out and asked to touts. They offered a deal in INR 2000. But this time, I decided to correct the mistakes.

Only option was to get a New Graduation Certificate. I went to university, put up the request. Got issued new certificate and  went to HRD, Panchkula. They issued a letter to university for verification. I carried letter myself, took their reply to Panchkula office and got my Certificate attested in INR 55 only. I had paid INR 3500 for same stamps before. Next day, I went to MEA, New Delhi and got my certificate stamped till evening. It was hectic, took ten days but everything was corrected and I sighed in relief.