Nine held for making fake IDs of defence, NHAI, administration officials in Mohali

Police suspect it to be an extortion racket as fake ID cards of officials in the defence forces, civil administration, National Highways Authority of India and even journalists were seized after raids

Nine persons were arrested on Monday by Mohali Police for making fake (ID) cards, presumably for toll tax exemptions at the Dera Bassi toll plaza. Police, however, suspect it to be an extortion racket as fake ID cards of officials in the defence forces, civil administration, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and even journalists were seized after raids.

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Acting on a tip-off in which the name of the informant was not disclosed, the police raided a number of spots near Dera Bassi, to arrest Brijesh Bhardwaj from Uttar Pradesh, now living in Dariya village in Chandigarh and Mohit Sharma of Jhajjar living in Dera Bassi. Their accomplices included Varinder Singh Rana of Kaithal, Aniket from Shimla living in Sector 14, Panchkula, Sachin and Sangeet of Sector 17, Panchkula. Three men, Arvind Kumar of Aligarh, and Yogesh and Rajiv Thakur of Bathinda, were caught making fake ID cards. A country made weapon was also recovered from them.

The arrests were made after a complaint was lodged by Deepak Arora, a senior Dappar toll plaza official , at the Lalru police station against unidentified persons.

A case under Sections 420 and 174, and the Arms Act was registered at the Lalru police station.

Arora also flagged an incident in his complaint about a man identifying himself as Lakhbir Singh, an NHAI official, which occurred about a month ago. Finding his behaviour suspicious, the staff informed Arora, but the man fled leaving behind the ID card when Arora called him to his office. On checking with NHAI Delhi the card was found to be fake as no employee of that name worked with the authority.