Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jan 9: In a swift operation, policemen from Sampigehalli station located within the city limits have busted a huge racket that had created a virtual government office, where fake  documents, certificates, deeds and records on behalf of various departments were being manufactured  for the benefit of those who wanted to get government funds, get employment, divert money from schemes and embezzle property.

The policemen have recovered thousands of fake records, hundreds of out-dated and stale stamp papers dating back to the times of the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysore, counterfeit records, out-of-date stamps of the postal department, sample signatures of various officials of state and central governments and hundreds of rubber seals.

The gang was found to be involved with creating of bogus records of the income tax, commercial tax, revenue, social welfare, labour, education and health departments, sub-registrar's office, Bangalore City Corporation in addition to various other departments and offices. The policemen found to their astonishment, that the gang relentlessly produced records on behalf of about 28 departments and other entities and thus functioned beyond the legal purview. The racket also produced documents in the names of BSNL, Reliance, Vodafone, Ashok Leyland and other companies, City police commissioner Shankar Bidari said.

The gang members used ancient stamp papers to create pre-dated sale deeds, gift deeds, settlements deeds, agreement-cum-construction deeds etc., to subvert the government functioning and gain profits. The gang also created fake records to embezzle funds earmarked for the benefit of scheduled castes, tribes, backward classes etc., by the state and central governments, he added.

The policemen, who were trying to reach to the root of the problem after finding multiple property records of certain sites and houses in Sampigehalli, got to know of the functioning of the racket.  Bidari also made the shocking revelation, that the gang created old records in the outdated stamp papers purported to be duly signed, stamped and sealed in the name of the long-deceased vendor and the sub-registrar of the concerned region, which would have enabled hundreds of people to take possession of landed properties valued at crores of rupees. Sometimes, they provided these records to the anti-social elements who could then indulge in litigation with the actual owners, threaten them to drag to the courts and extort huge amounts from them for the withdrawal of these suits, he said.

SC/ST certificates, certificates required for applying for widow pension, caste, income certificates, handicapped certificates etc., supplied by the gang members to the people at a cost too came in handy for the beneficiaries to draw various benefits from the government, he said.  The records created by the gang members helped people to get voter identity card, ration card, transfer certificates of educational institutions, university degree certificates, letters, telephone bills, gas bills, water bills etc., so that they could be used to open bank accounts, get passports, water connection etc.,

The agents of the racket used to visit departmental offices which are thronged by the people for various documents. They talked to people, struck deals with them to provide the documents required to them at a price and created fake documents.

Seven gang members namely Abdul Khader, Laxmipati, Ramachandra, Rehamatulla Khan, Syed Arif, Ashfaq and Laxman have been arrested by the policemen while six others who were part of this huge racket, are at large, the police commissioner revealed.