Synopsis
Abdul Hai, a retired Kolkata Police assistant inspector, was arrested for his involvement in a fake passport racket, where he cleared police verifications for 52 fraudulent applications in exchange for cash, leading to a wider investigation into the operations of such illegal activities in West Bengal.Key Takeaways
- Retired officer Abdul Hai linked to fake passport racket.
- Cleared 52 applications for fraudulent passports.
- Investigation reveals financial gains from clearances.
- Role of other police officers under scrutiny.
- Widespread involvement of Bangladeshi nationals in forgery.
Kolkata, March 14 (NationPress) Abdul Hai, a retired assistant inspector previously associated with the Kolkata Police's security control organization, was apprehended this year for his involvement in a fraudulent passport scheme in West Bengal. He allegedly authorized police verifications for no less than 52 fake passport applications in exchange for cash.
The specifics of the retired officer's participation were outlined in a charge sheet submitted by the police to a lower court in Kolkata on Thursday.
Insiders revealed that the charge sheet also elaborates on the financial profits Hai accrued from these 52 police verification approvals while serving as the ground-level inquiry officer.
Following Hai's arrest in January, the actions of five additional verification officers linked to various police stations have also come under scrutiny by
investigating officials.
However, their identities have not yet appeared in the charge sheet, as inquiries concerning them remain ongoing and may be included in a future supplementary charge sheet.
The charge sheet names a total of 130 individuals, of which 120 are Bangladeshi nationals and the others are Indian citizens.
The primary accusations against the Bangladeshi individuals involve the creation of counterfeit Indian passports utilizing forged documents and making substantial payments. The Indian nationals are charged with facilitating the acquisition of fake Indian identity documents, including passports, for these illegal Bangladeshi entrants.
Authorities investigating the counterfeit Indian identity document rackets have discerned a distinct pattern in the operations of such crimes.
Any infiltrator unlawfully crossing into Indian territory would contact local agents, indicating a willingness to pay large sums for counterfeit Indian identity documents. Initially, they were provided with safe houses in various villages near the Bangladesh border, both land and coastal.
Subsequently, agents would arrange for fake ration cards, which serve as the foundational step for obtaining other identity documents. With these fake ration cards, individuals could secure additional identification documents such as EPIC, PAN, and AADHAAR cards. The final step involved obtaining counterfeit passports based on these other fraudulent identity documents.
