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Forged papers issue: ATS asks govt to improve passport verification
The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) recently wrote to the ministry of external affairs (MEA), asking that the verification procedure prior to issuing passports be tightened.
The Maharashtra AntiTerrorism Squad (ATS) recently wrote to the ministry of external affairs (MEA), asking that the verification procedure prior to issuing passports be tightened.
This year, 14 Bangladeshi nationals have been found guilty of procuring Aadhaar, PAN and ration cards using forged documents. Three of them even managed to use forged papers to procure Indian passports.
An ATS official, who did not wish to be named, said, “The issue is very serious. The passports could have given them all new identities as Indians. Several hundred Bangladeshis come to Mumbai in search of jobs every year and manage to stay here illegally for years.”
He added, “Keeping this in mind, we recently wrote to the ministry of external affairs. We have given them copies of the forged documents used by the accused. We have requested them to check if same modus operandi has been used to procure passports elsewhere in the country. We have also suggested a thorough verification process and a foolproof background check before issuing a passport.”
In the past few years, thousands of Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested for staying in India illegally.
The majority of them have been deported. Since late last year, courts have stopped giving bail to Bangladeshi nationals found to be staying in India illegally. A common trick they use is to claim they are from West Bengal.
In 2012, the special branch of the Mumbai police formed teams to crack down on illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the city; about 1,500 are caught every year.
