Kathmandu, June 11 -- As many as ten foreign nationals who entered Nepal on tourist visas were later granted student visas using forged documents purportedly issued by a Sanskrit studies institution in Kathmandu, exposing apparent weaknesses in the government's visa verification process.

The fraud came to light only after Nepal's Department of Immigration launched an investigation into the activities of the visa holders, which officials described as suspicious. The inquiry found that the Ministry of Education and Sports had recommended student visas for eight Chinese nationals, one Russian and one South Korean based on forged recommendation letters bearing the letterhead of Balmiki Campus, an academic institution located in Kathmandu's E...