Bisrakh police bust gang involved in fake documentation racket

The main accused operated from a shop where he and his accomplices fabricated rental agreements and used these to change addresses on Aadhaar cards and open bank accounts

Seven people were arrested by police in relation to an alleged fraudulent operation involved in creating bank accounts and passports using fake notarised documents and rent agreements, officials said on Friday.

The operation came to light when investigators tracked passport applications submitted online with fictitious addresses. (Representational image)

The operation came to light when investigators tracked passport applications submitted online with fictitious addresses.

The main accused in the case, identified as Sachin Jouhari, operated from a shop where he and his accomplices fabricated rental agreements and used these to change addresses on Aadhaar cards and open bank accounts, deputy commissioner of police (Zone II) Shakti Mohan Avasthy said.

During a raid on the shop, officials from Bisrakh police station recovered 14 official seals of various departments, 98 notarised tickets, a forged rental agreement, and a passport issued under a fake address. Additionally, law enforcement seized five computer sets, a fingerprint scanning machine, two Aadhaar cards with different addresses but the same name, a PAN card, two bank passbooks, five mobile phones, 10 stamp notaries, and a laptop.

“The investigation revealed that Jouhari had been providing illicit services for fees ranging from ₹15,000 to ₹18,000, facilitating passport applications through direct interactions with officials. This ensured that the passports were issued swiftly and without the mandatory police verification,” Avasthysaid.

The police have also arrested Virendra Kumar Garg, who allegedly provided forged notarised authorisations that were instrumental in creating the fraudulent documents.

Investigators believe the group had been operational for two years and had processed over 500 passport applications, of which approximately 100 bypassed police checks.

Among those arrested was Virendra Kumar Garg, who allegedly provided forged notarised authorisations used to fabricate documents. The accused also included two individuals—Vinod Kumar and Sanjeed Day—who reportedly used the fake documents to secure passports for an event in Dubai despite residing in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The case involved multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including BNS 318(4) (document forgery), BNS 338 (fraudulent activities), BNS 336(3) (misuse of official seals), BNS 340(2) (identity falsification), BNS 341(1)(2) (conspiracy to commit fraud), BNS 61 (illegal notarisation), and BNS 3(5) (corruption) and under various sections the Passport Act.