Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Drive against touts at passport office

PHOTO: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

OPERATION surveillance: Police removing persons suspected to be touts at the passport office in Coimbatore on Monday. —

Coimbatore: The police on Monday removed two persons, suspected to be touts, from the passport office for selling applications at higher rates and collecting money to get formalities completed. Coimbatore Passport Officer B. Balamurugan along with his team caught hold of three persons moving around in a suspicious manner. The touts were assisting the public in filling passport application forms and demanded extra fee for speedy issuance of passport.

One of them managed to give a slip, before the police could reach. The passport officer handed over two persons identified as Nagoor Meeran (43) of Pollachi and Ranganathan (41) of Kuniamuthur. Legal opinion was sought by the police on the legal provisions to be invoked in a registering a case against them. Mr. Balamurugan has deployed his own staff for maintaining vigil around on passport office premises while the police have also stepped up visible policing and surveillance to keep touts at bay.

Mr. Balamurugan exhorted the applicants and the public to approach the office directly and not to get deceived by touts, who promised to get passports faster and easier for a premium.

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