Ghaziabad Police Departmental Inquiry Targets SHO and Eight Constables in Passport Racket
In a significant development, the Ghaziabad police have initiated a departmental inquiry against the station house officer (SHO) of Bhojpur police station and eight constables. This action comes in connection with their alleged involvement in a passport racket that was recently busted. The implicated officers have been transferred to police lines pending investigation.
Exposure of the Nexus and Fake Applications
The illicit network came to light after the Delhi passport office raised red flags in December regarding 24 suspicious applications. These applications were all linked to the same residential address and mobile number, triggering immediate concern. Upon investigation, police discovered that only two individuals actually resided at the given address, confirming that a staggering 22 of the applications were entirely fraudulent.
Immediate Police Action and Personnel Involved
Responding swiftly to the revelations, the police commissioner removed Bhojpur police station SHO Sachin Kumar from his position. Additionally, eight sub-inspectors, including the in-charges of key outposts, were also relieved of their duties. The affected outposts and their in-charges are:
- Faridnagar chowki: Rustam Singh
- Churiyala chowki: Manoj Kumar
- Atrauli chowki: Prashant Sansarwal
These locations are notably where all the fake passport addresses were registered. Other constables facing disciplinary action include Ram Kumar, Mahendra Singh, Vikash Saini, Ankit Kumar, and Aditya Gautam.
Arrests and Racket Details
So far, five individuals have been arrested in connection with this elaborate scheme. The arrested accused are:
- Vivek Gandhi and Prakash Subba: Two agents operating outside the Delhi passport office.
- Arun Kumar: A postman stationed at the Modinagar post office.
- Satwant Kaur (52) and Amandeep Singh: A mother-son duo residing in Tilak Nagar, west Delhi.
Investigations reveal that Kaur and her son, originally from Afghanistan, allegedly obtained passports using forged documents in December of the previous year. According to ACP (Modinagar) Amit Saxena, Kaur arrived in India with her parents in 1990 and later settled in Delhi. Her passport had expired in 2020, and a renewal attempt was unsuccessful due to incomplete documentation.
Police reports indicate that Amandeep subsequently met agent Vivek Gandhi outside the passport office. Gandhi allegedly offered to arrange fresh identity documents using a fake Ghaziabad address and facilitate new passport applications. The racket charged between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh for these services. In December last year, Kaur and her son received passports issued at a Bhojpur address. Kaur confessed to police that her motive was to secure documents proving Indian residency to travel to Canada, where her husband currently lives.
Constable Deepak Kumar's Alleged Role and Manhunt
Authorities are also actively searching for another police constable, Deepak Kumar, who is accused of approving the 22 fake passports without conducting mandatory physical verification of the addresses. Deepak, who was responsible for all three outposts under Bhojpur police station, allegedly accepted tablets from beat police officers—sub-inspectors—to verify addresses remotely, bypassing essential spot inspections. In return, he reportedly received a cut of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per verification.
While Deepak Kumar was suspended on Monday, DCP (rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari confirmed that multiple police teams have been formed to apprehend him. The investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on uncovering the full extent of the racket.
Legal Proceedings and FIR Details
An FIR has been officially registered against the five arrested individuals and the 22 alleged beneficiaries of the fake passports. The charges are severe and comprehensive, filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. The specific sections invoked include:
- BNS Section 61(2): Criminal conspiracy
- BNS Section 318(4): Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property
- BNS Section 336(3): Forgery for the purpose of cheating
- BNS Section 338: Forgery of valuable security, will, etc.
- BNS Section 340(2): Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record
This case underscores serious lapses in police verification processes and highlights the vulnerabilities in the passport issuance system. The Ghaziabad police department's decisive action aims to restore integrity and ensure such breaches are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
