A serious case of document forgery and criminal breach of trust has surfaced at the Vittal police station in Mangaluru, leading to the suspension of a police constable and the arrest of a passport applicant. The fraud was aimed at illegally obtaining a passport and a police clearance certificate (PCC) by manipulating official records.
The Initial Rejection and Fresh Attempt
According to police officials, the sequence of events began in February when an applicant named Shakti Das filed for a passport. Das claimed residence at an address falling under the Vittal police station's jurisdiction. However, during the mandatory police verification process, authorities discovered a discrepancy. The address provided in the application did not match the one listed in the government's official records. As a result, his passport application was not recommended and was effectively rejected.
Undeterred, Shakti Das submitted a fresh application in June. This is where the alleged conspiracy took shape. The investigation reveals that Constable Pradeep, posted at Vittal police station, took charge of processing this re-application. He did so without informing the beat constable, Sabu Mirji, who was the designated officer responsible for verifying the applicant's local address and credentials.
Forgery and Destruction of Evidence
Police allege that Constable Pradeep then engaged in a series of illegal acts to push the application through. He prepared a fake verification report in the name of Beat Constable Sabu Mirji and went a step further by forging Mirji's signature on the document. This forged report was then used to obtain necessary recommendations from senior police officers, after which the application was forwarded for further processing.
To cover up these irregularities and prevent them from being discovered, the accused allegedly destroyed the original verification records. The elaborate scheme remained hidden until December 19, when a routine review of station records brought the inconsistencies to light, prompting a full investigation.
Legal Action and Consequences
The fallout was swift. Shakti Das has been taken into police custody. Meanwhile, Constable Pradeep was suspended on Monday and later taken into custody. He was produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. Police revealed that Shakti Das claims to be originally from West Bengal, and efforts are ongoing to verify his permanent address.
The actions of the accused enabled Das to fraudulently obtain a passport and a police clearance certificate, both of which are crucial identity documents issued by the central government. Following the discovery, a formal case was registered at the Vittal police station against both Pradeep and Shakti Das. They have been booked under Sections 336, 337, 316(5), and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertain to forgery, destruction of evidence, and criminal breach of trust by a public servant.
This incident has raised serious questions about internal checks and balances within the police verification system for critical documents. An investigation is continuing to determine if any other individuals were involved in the scam.
