CBI busts passport racket in Sikkim, Bengal; 50 locations raided
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has busted a major fake passport racket in Sikkim and West Bengal, the Hindustan Times reported. This comes after the CBI reportedly raided around 50 locations in the two states to collect evidence and apprehend those involved. Searches are currently underway in West Bengal's Kolkata, Siliguri, Darjeeling, and Sikkim's Gangtok. The agency has already arrested Senior Superintendent of Passport Seva Laghu Kendras (PSLK) Gautam Kumar Shah in Siliguri and a middleman in the case.
Senior officer reportedly caught red-handed while accepting Rs. 1.90L bribe
The raids come a day after Shah was reportedly caught red-handed while accepting Rs. 1.90 lakh in bribe in exchange for a passport, per PTI. Furthermore, the CBI confiscated several documents, including fake passport copies, Aadhaar cards, and other documents, from his possession. "Searches are underway, and many suspects are under the radar. We have recovered documents pertaining to the involvement of government officials in the racket," an official told ANI.
Searches underway at 50 locations: Report
24 people booked, including government officials
Senior officials reportedly said that the CBI registered a case against 24 individuals, both government officials and private citizens, for allegedly being involved in issuing passports based on fake documents. The CBI FIR reportedly lists 16 government officials for allegedly providing passports to ineligible individuals, including non-residents, in exchange for money. Earlier, a CBI team had reportedly received a tip-off about some people conniving with government officials to help some people obtain passports through forged documents.
Similar passport rackets in Tamil Nadu
In May, the Tamil Nadu Police apprehended three people and busted a fake passport racket in Chennai, the state capital. The accused were allegedly involved in the production of fake passports and visas. A similar passport racket involving 41 people, including Sri Lankan Tamils and police personnel, was unearthed in Tamil Nadu's Madurai division in 2018. The cops arrested five police officers, 14 zonal passport officials, and two postal service personnel in the case.
