Madhya Pradesh STF Expands Investigation into Fake Passport Racket

Bhopal, September 14 (Daily Kiran) : The Special Task Force (STF) of Madhya Pradesh has intensified its investigation into a suspected fake passport racket. Authorities are currently reviewing over 70 passports, leading to the arrest of four individuals.

The investigation has expanded across several locations, including Bhopal, Gwalior, Betul, Chhindwara, and Pandhurna. Officers are scrutinizing passport applications, addresses, and the documents allegedly used to obtain these travel documents.

Deputy Inspector General Rahul Lodha stated that the agency is also examining the passport of a suspect arrested in Nagpur, which was issued in Gujarat. “We are investigating a total of 70 passports related to the fake passport case. The passport from Nagpur, issued in Gujarat, has been included in our review,” he explained.

The four arrested suspects hail from the northeastern region, including Assam, and their identities and details are being verified. Investigators have discovered that several passport applications were allegedly submitted using the same or suspicious addresses, suggesting the existence of an organized network.

Lodha noted, “Fake passports have been issued from four to five districts in Madhya Pradesh. In Gwalior, 17 passports were fraudulently applied for from a single location in the Semaria Tal area of Dabra. In Bhopal, 40 passports were issued using an address in Anna Nagar.”

The STF is investigating cases in Bhopal where a monastery’s address in the Govindpura police station area was allegedly used to issue 40 passports. Investigators are confirming the documents submitted with the applications to determine how these passports were obtained and whether local facilitators or agents were involved.

Additionally, the STF is looking into the suspected interstate connections of the racket and examining whether the passports in question are interconnected. Officials have indicated that further arrests and actions will be taken if additional individuals are found to be involved in the ongoing investigation, which may extend to other locations to uncover the full scope of the suspected racket.