–SATISH HANDA
Search for arrest of accused involved in preparing fake passports has been intensified by police with the arrest of 23 persons so far and raids are being conducted for the arrest of others involved in this illegal practice posing a threat to national security. Information reveals, more than 200 fake passports which included nearly 60 fake passports in Haryana and nearly 140 fake passports prepared in Punjab in which fair police verification of applicant was not conducted in nearly 60% cases.
Investigation as regard fake passports started after gagster Virender Partap alias Kala Rana recently shot dead two members of a rival gang in broad daylight in a thickly populated area at Ambala Cantt suspected managed to flee abroad with the help of fake passport. This is not the only case, but large number of most wanted anti-social elements also left country in the same way after committing crimes.
According to Sibas Kaviraj Regional Passport officer (RPO), nearly 1,74,287 passports were forwarded to police for verification of applicants in past some time, of these the addresses and particulars of most of them were found fake and only in Karnal district as many as 21applicants were detected having criminal background falsely verified by the police. RPO said, the list of 200 already cancelled passports suspected prepared on the basis of false documents or without police verification has been forwarded to DGP Haryana, DGP Punjab and Chandigarh administration as well as all international airports to keep vigil on antisocial elements got prepared passports on fake documents.
Regional Passport Officer told that verification of large number of applicants apply for passport is forwarded to police for verification of person, his/her residential address duly witnessed by two responsible persons in the area and finding large number of lapses by police personnel now decision has been taken that police personnel deployed for verification will have to submit the photograph along with the residence of the applicant along with verification report. Investigation revealed that large number of fake police verifications were made at Delhi, Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Moga, Karnal, Ambala and several other places in Haryana state and during investigation the addresses of most of the applicants were found false.
Investigation reveals, a Visa agent Mahesh Narang resident of Delhi got prepared 21 passports at Karnal in which applicants were having criminal background and fake police verification was got conducted by a youth identified as Amit and an employee of postal department. Ajaib Singh DSP told that police has already arrested 22 persons allegedly involved in preparing fake passports including three master mind Mahesh Narang, Amit and a postal department employee Vikas all presently lodged in jail in and many more are likely to be trapped in police net soon. Among another six arrested by police include Ravi alias Karan resident of Sonepat got prepared fake passport on the basis of fake police verification at Fatehabad, Satnam resident of Arhawa verified a fake passport, Muneesh a resident of Ratia preparing fake passports with the assistance of Tilak Raj working at Chandigarh passport office, Rupinder a resident of Varinder Nagar Delhi preparing and designing DMC with the assistance of Rohit and their laptop as well as printer were seized by police and two others Balveer and Balvinder all sent to jail.
