A 30-member gang creating fake Aadhaar cards was busted by the Kurnool district police on Wednesday. The members, taking advantage of the data changing provisions in UIDAI, allegedly registered thousands of people under various government welfare schemes like Jagananna Cheyutha, YSR Pension Scheme, Nethanna Nestam and Aasara, earning easy money.
Superintendent of Police Fakkeerappa Kaginelli said at a press conference here the modus operandi followed by the gang was to create a fake PAN card for a person first by photoshopping data in it and use the fake card as a genuine document for altering the data in the Aadhaar card. Aadhaar card is the basis for sanctioning benefits under various welfare schemes.
Following complaints about fraudulent withdrawal of money through such dubious means of obtaining fake proofs, the police raided four places in the district and busted the gang. Cell phones, printers, computers, and other electronic gadgets were recovered from the gang members.
The gang used to collect ₹5,000 to ₹6,000 per fake document and get customers through agents. A similar fraud had come to light in other districts too.
Raids conducted
Raids were conducted on 10 Village Secretariats and 200 applications were found to be from fraudulent beneficiaries. Some persons, aged 45 years, got Aadhar cards showing the age of 60 years and had applied for pension. The investigation was in the preliminary stage, said the SP.
In Pathikonda, 14 persons were arrested. Eight persons were arrested in the past in a similar case. Two persons were taken into custody in Nandavaram, 10 from Adoni, six from Banaganapalli. Trainee IPS officer Kommi Pratap Shiva Kishore was also present at the press conference.
