Fake voter ID racket busted in Dhubri

Active in Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, gaon, Silchar and Karimganj districts, the well-knit network is operated from Bangladesh and Dubai 

From a Correspondent

DHUBRI, July 12: A fake voter identity cards racket was busted in a joint operation by police and Border Security Force (BSF) in Dhubri district on Tuesday night. Two persons allegedly involved in the racket were arrested by police and materials including laptop, printer and papers were seized from their possession.

 Dhubri Police on a tip-off raided the computer shop — M/S Sayed Store located in Gachpara border village under Dhubri police station — and arrested its proprietor Sayed Ali (22) with many fake voter identity cards in the evening on Tuesday.

 Later, on the basis of Sayed’s statement, police raided M/S Computer World situated in the Boro Masjid complex on Netaji Subhas road of Dhubri town at night, and picked up its proprietor, Sahijul Haque and seized his computer, printers and other electronic gadgets from the shop.

 When contacted, Dhubri Superintendent of Police, Longnit Terang informed that Sayed Ali was arrested as sufficient material evidence has been recovered, including more than 100 fake voter identity cards, proving his direct involvement in the racket.

 “We are interrogating Sahijul Haque to get more information. However, due to lack of evidence to link him with the case, we will have to let him go, but he will be kept under close watch. Further, he also has to register his presence in Dhubri police station daily and appear in the police station whenever he is required in the investigation of the case,” Terang further informed.

 An intelligence source said that the fake identity card racket was well linked with making of passport for foreigners who enter this district from Bangladesh.

 “A genuine Indian citizen has his voter identity card in possession, so he needs no fake identity card, but a person who is a foreigner needs to get a fake voter identity card desperately to prove his Indian citizenship. With the help of this, he can obtain PAN card, passport and other important documents issued including domicile certificate, and thus the whole modus operandi goes on to make a foreigner an Indian citizen in this district of the State,” a source added.

 The source also informed that the racket was active in Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, gaon, Silchar and Karimganj districts. This racket has a well-knit network and is being operated from Bangladesh and Dubai.  

Some of the following cases linked to issuing of fake passports are evidence to prove this racket. Last year on August 31, police arrested 13 people, including a political leader, two teachers and Bangladeshi tiols for allegedly running a fake passport racket in Karimganj district.

 Again on September 13 last year, Imdadul Islam, an employee of the office of South Salmara-Mancachar Superintendent of Police, was arrested for issuing fake no-objection certificates required for passports. Islam had been arrested once before by Dhubri Police in 1995 in a similar case for issuing 417 fake certificates. Ther case was handed over to CID which further investigated into the case and Islam was suspended. But after getting bail, he was reinstated.

 “During the inquiry, it was found that despite shifting from that job, Islam was issuing NOCs and other certificates by maintaining a separate register with him,” a source further informed.