Make-up artist who helped 32-year-old impersonate elderly arrested

A make-up artist was arrested for allegedly modifying appearances of as many as 10 persons, including a 32-year-old man whom he helped impersonate an octogenarian, on the direction of agents involved in forging passports and identities of air passengers, police said on Monday.

The accused was identified as Shamsher Singh alias Billu Barber, a resident of Rohini. He was apprehended on Sunday, they said.

Police said Singh (42) was arrested based on the disclosure made by Jayesh Patel, who disguised as an 81-year-old man but was nabbed at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on September 8.

Patel, a resident of Ahmedabad, wanted to go to the US for employment but apprehended he may not be granted visa so with the help of agents, he planned to leave the country by impersonating the octogenarian, Amrik Singh, a senior police official said.

The accused had disguised himself as an old person and managed to get the Immigration Clearance, the official added.

During the course of investigation, Patel disclosed that one make-up artist in Patel Nagar helped him to modify his appearance in order to conceal his real identity by colouring his hair, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Airport) Sanjay Bhatia said.

On Sunday, the make-up artist was apprehended and cosmetics used for hair-dying were recovered from his shop, the officer said.

During interrogation, Singh disclosed he worked as a make-up artist. To make quick money, he agreed to modify appearances of as many as 10 suspects, including two women, on the direction of the agents, the officer added.

He led the team to his shop where cosmetics and material used for colouring hair were recovered, the police said, adding further investigation is on.