Fake Aadhaar card racket busted near Malda-Bihar border, 2 held

Malda: Police have busted a fake Aadhaar card racket under the guise of computer training and Customer Service Point (CSP) in the Malda-Bihar border area, arresting two persons. The incidents in Chanchal and Harishchandrapur police station areas have created a stir.

The arrested have been identified as Mostafa Abdul Wahed and Mohammad Azam alias Nawab. Acting on a tip-off, Chanchal police first arrested Wahed from the Sati area. Based on his interrogation, Azam, one of the alleged masterminds, was later arrested from Kushida’s Uttar Rampur area under Harishchandrapur Police Station.

Police sources revealed that Aadhaar-related work was being carried out illegally in Chanchal and Harishchandrapur using IDs from Mumbai, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, often at inflated charges. Six days ago, Wahed was arrested from his home in Suti in Murshidabad, with police seizing a laptop, iris scanner, keyboard, printer and multiple Aadhaar receipt copies. While Wahed’s father, Jamil Akhtar, claimed: “My son is innocent.

He has been framed. Azam’s men used to come to his CSP two to three days a week for Aadhaar work. They paid him only Rs 25 per Aadhaar while charging Rs 300 themselves,” police maintain more people may be involved.

The matter will be reported to the UIDAI. The case has triggered political blame games. BJP leader Amlan Bhadhuri alleged, “This proves our claim that such illegal activities flourish under the ruling party’s protection.”

TMC district president Abdur Rahim Boxi countered: “The racket was operating near the BJP-ruled Bihar border, with Bihar links. It is our state police who made the arrests.” Investigation is ongoing.