In a major crackdown on an international human trafficking network, the Kolkata Police last year busted a sophisticated racket that was helping Bangladeshi nationals obtain Indian passports using forged identity documents. This revelation has led to a stringent new verification process, resulting in a massive backlog of over 20,000 passport applications awaiting clearance across the city's police stations.
The Racket and the New Verification Challenge
The investigation was triggered by a complaint from the Regional Passport Office. Police discovered that the accused were operating an international ring, recruiting illegal immigrants and facilitating their travel to European countries like France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Netherlands, and Canada using fraudulently obtained Indian passports.
To combat this, the Kolkata Police devised a new Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) featuring its own algorithm, software, and database for passport verification. A senior police officer explained that while the Passport Office verifies biometrics and address, the police are responsible for checking criminal antecedents and citizenship proof. Previously, officers would clear applications based on document observation. Now, every submitted birth certificate is physically sent back to its issuing body—municipal corporations or gram panchayats—for authentication.
"This verification by local bodies takes two to three weeks on average, leading to a huge number of pending applications. As of now, more than 20,000 passports are awaiting clearance," the officer stated.
Key Arrests and Scale of Forgery
So far, nine individuals, including contractual post office employees and a former policeman from border districts, have been arrested. Among the key arrests made last year were Gautam Sardar, Sk. Habibur Rahaman, and Badal Sahani in connection with the forged birth certificate and passport racket.
The scale of the forgery is staggering. Police investigations revealed that Gautam Sardar alone issued more than 3,500 fake birth certificates from the Pathankhali gram panchayat in South 24 Parganas district over the last couple of years. The racket also provided Bangladeshi nationals with other forged Indian documents like Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and voter ID cards. All three primary accused have been granted bail.
Currently, over 400 passports obtained through this network are under the scanner following the bust.
Streamlining the Future Process
To address the delays and increase transparency, the police are working on digital solutions. "We are working on making algorithms and databases. Nowadays, an applicant fears police verification but after our software application starts, an applicant will get details of documents which he or she has to produce," the senior officer said.
An experimental software application has already been launched in the South Suburban Division (SSD) and South East Division (SED) of Kolkata Police, which receive the maximum number of applications. The police believe that once this system is regularized, the process of passport issuance or renewal will become more streamlined and efficient for genuine applicants.
The case underscores the challenges of document fraud in border states and the ongoing efforts by authorities to secure India's citizenship and travel documents against sophisticated criminal networks.
