CBI arrests passport assistant, agent for corruption

The CBI registered corruption cases against several passport assistants and agents, based on reports that the officials would conspire with agents to issue passports based on incomplete or falsified documents

MUMBAI: The Mumbai unit of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a passport assistant and a private agent after it found that the duo was allegedly involved in the issuance of seven passports to unknown applicants based on forged documents. Five of them went abroad using the travel documents, raising grave security concerns. All seven are currently absconding, according to CBI sources.

Arrested computer hacker and cyber criminal with handcuffs, close up of hands (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Passport assistant Akshay Meena and agent Bhavesh Shah were arrested on Tuesday evening and produced in a special court in Mumbai on Wednesday. The court remanded them to CBI custody till June 2, saying it was “a matter of serious concern” that five of the applicants had travelled abroad.

On June 26-27 last year, the CBI had conducted a joint surprise check along with officers from the Passport Seva Programme at 33 locations in Mumbai and Nashik, including the Passport Seva Kendra under the Regional Passport Office, Lower Parel. In the same month, the CBI registered 12 corruption cases against several passport assistants and agents, based on reports that the officials would conspire with agents to issue passports based on incomplete or falsified documents.

During the joint surprise checks, the CBI found that Meena was in regular contact with various private agents to issue passports. The CBI probe revealed that the accused official had allegedly received around ₹1.9 lakh from several agents, including Shah, for helping them in passport-related work during 2023-24. It was also alleged that the accused official shared a part of this with the others.

The CBI’s analysis of certain WhatApp chats between the arrested duo during June 18-24, 2024, allegedly showed them to be coordinating and facilitating the passport issuance work of the seven persons and discussing issues related to payment for the work. The CBI investigation revealed that all seven had submitted forged Aadhar and PAN cards, bank account statements and birth certificates in the passport office.

The CBI said that the arrested official did not conduct due verification of the seven applicants’ documents but endorsed them, leading to the issuance of their passports. The agency also said that none of the seven were currently traceable, their mobile numbers were not in service and the police verification reports for four of them were adverse. The CBI told the court that Meena and Shah were interrogated at length about the alleged irregularities but gave evasive answers.