Pune, Maharashtra: The Pune Police is intensifying passport verification procedures in the aftermath of the Mumbai Police’s arrest of six Bangladeshi nationals for allegedly obtaining Indian passports through fraudulent means in Pune. Police Commissioner Retesh Kumaarr has issued directives to bolster the verification process, emphasizing the need for thorough checks, especially for foreign nationals.
Recent investigations by Mumbai Police uncovered that ten Bangladeshi nationals acquired passports using forged residential addresses from Pune. Commissioner Kumaarr has mandated passport cell officials to personally visit the residential addresses provided by applicants for in-depth verification. This proactive step includes inquiries with at least two to three individuals from the area to corroborate the applicant’s details. This marks a departure from the current practice of conducting verifications primarily through calls and document scrutiny without visiting applicants’ homes.
In December, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Sambhaji Kadam conducted a workshop involving all city police passport officials. The workshop stressed the importance of rigorous verification of passport-related documents and outlined additional safeguards for more stringent scrutiny.
Mumbai Police’s investigation, based on an FIR filed on October 28, revealed that the Bangladeshi nationals had procured passports from the jurisdiction of Wanawdi and Yerawada Police Stations in Pune. Presently, five policemen from Pune police are under investigation for providing verification reports without physically visiting the residences furnished by the Bangladeshi applicants.
In a written communication to all police stations, Commissioner Kumaarr emphasized, “Passport cell personnel must visit the applicant’s residence for address verification and make inquiries about background information from neighbors.” He highlighted concerns about organized gangs in Pune facilitating the issuance of passports to Bangladeshi and other foreign nationals using forged documents.
The police commissioner urged daily lists of verifications, signed by the police station in-charge. The passport cell is instructed to meticulously verify documents such as Aadhaar Card, birth certificates, and other required documents, as directed by the Maharashtra State Director General’s office. Suspicious documents should prompt the passport branch to alert officials of the Anti-Terrorist Cell (ATC) for further assistance.
Commissioner Kumaarr encouraged police station officials to utilize tablets and other specified gadgets for quicker service delivery to applicants. He pointed out that six Bangladeshi nationals obtained passports under the jurisdiction of Hadapsar Police Station, with four using the same modus operandi under Wanawadi Police Station.
In a related development, the Anti-Terrorist Cell (ATC) of Mumbai Police arrested 20 Bangladeshi migrants and two citizens in connection with a racket involved in issuing passports, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and other documents to Bangladeshi infiltrators.
