Mumbai’s Crime Branch has arrested a married couple for allegedly operating a document forgery operation that provided fake Indian identity credentials to Bangladeshi immigrants. The suspects, identified as Purushottam Prasad Sharma, 57, and Manju Purushottam Sharma (also known as Manju or Altaf Shaikh), 42, were apprehended at their residence in Malad West. The arrest marks the latest in a series of enforcement actions targeting document fraud rings that exploit India’s Aadhaar biometric identification system.
Following a tip-off, Unit 11 of the Crime Branch conducted a raid at the couple’s home in Sai Savli Co-operative Housing Society, New MHADA Colony. Officers recovered multiple pieces of evidence, including forged Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and voter identification documents. The seized materials also included a laptop, four mobile phones with SIM cards, bank passbooks, checkbooks, and a red pen drive reportedly containing operational data. The raid occurs as India implements stricter E-KYC requirements for telecommunications services.
Investigators discovered two separate Aadhaar cards and PAN cards with different identities, along with a voter ID connected to Manju Sharma. The sophisticated document forgery operation resembles a recent case where criminals used AI technology to create counterfeit Aadhaar cards. The Crime Branch is currently expanding its investigation to identify potential additional suspects, including agents and intermediaries who may be part of a larger network spanning multiple states and international borders.
The operation takes place within the context of India’s broader enforcement actions regarding illegal immigration from Bangladesh. Similar operations have been conducted across multiple states, including Delhi and West Bengal, as part of nationwide efforts to address unauthorized border crossings and document fraud. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has been working to strengthen identity verification systems, including the planned launch of a new QR-based e-Aadhaar mobile application designed to enhance document verification security.
The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Indian authorities in maintaining the integrity of the national identification system, which has seen multiple large-scale fraud attempts, including a recent operation where over 1,500 biometric records were compromised across 12 states.
Sources: Times of India, Centre for Justice and Peace
