The 32-year-old man from Mumbai told police he was unaware that tampering with his passport is a criminal offence, NDTV.com reports.

The tampering was spotted by Indian immigration officials as he returned to Mumbai from a foreign country where he was visiting his girlfriend.

He told police that he had told his wife he was travelling for work in India and decided to remove pages from his passport to cover up his lie.

The man is now facing a criminal investigation and could face prosecution for offences including cheating and forgery.