Just as she was signing the documents at the visa desk, the voter's card accidentally fell out of her purse. Even as she tried to shove it into her purse, it caught the eye of the FRRO official. The cat was out of the bag within seconds.

DCP (FRRO) Dharmendra Kumar told The Indian Express: ``The FRRO has issued her a show-cause notice prior to cancellation of her visa. She has to explain how she managed to get the card. We have already informed the Election Commission and the Home Ministry about the issue''.

The voter's card rendered Romero the status of a registered voter residing in the Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency. The card bearing number DL/07/067/252934 was issued on June 12 last year. It is duly signedand stamped by the electoral registration officer. ``We have seized Romero's voter's identity card,'' confirmed DCP Kumar. ``But what she had was a photocopy of the original. We are tracing the original card''. The Indian Express traced Romero to the address mentioned in the card: B-801, Budh Nagar, Inderpuri, a shantytown in west Delhi. Though Romero refused to meet the reporter, she said on the phone: ``How I got the card is a long, long story. Two years ago, some people gave it to me near Birla Mandir. I did not apply for it. They gave it to me.'' She refused to divulge further details.

When asked, Joint Electoral Officer Ghanshyam Khohar said: ``The only case where a foreigner can manage to get a voter's identity card is by showing fake documents and somehow concealing her true identity. The issuing authority is usually very careful.''

Meanwhile, the FRRO officials are preparing Romero's deportation papers. Romero's file at the FRRO gives the details of her stay in India: B K Constanza Romero came toIndia in 1992. She enrolled as a student in Agra on 29-10-92. In 1995, she came to the Capital and enrolled for a Sanskrit course at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Then she applied for a two-year extension of her student visa after enrolling for a course in Hindi offered by the Human Resources Development Ministry. She came to FRRO in September 1999 for further extension of her visa. ``We will deport Romero back to Columbia as soon as the papers are ready,'' said DCP Kumar.