Hyderabad cop gets fake voter ID in 1 hour for Rs 1,500: Police sting reveals all

In a shocking revelation, Hyderabad police uncovered a fake voter ID racket during a decoy operation on Thursday. The accused were found creating fraudulent voter ID cards within an hour, charging applicants Rs 1,500 for each card.

How Did the Racket Operate?

Acting on a tip-off, the task force contacted Y Raj Kumar, owner of RS Online Service Centre, seeking help to get an Aadhaar card without complete documents. Raj Kumar offered to issue a fake voter ID and assist in applying for a new Aadhaar card, TOI reported.

Once the decoy team received the fake voter ID, they apprehended Raj Kumar and two of his staff members. Police revealed that these IDs were not registered in official electoral records. However, the fake IDs were used to obtain genuine Aadhaar cards, passports, and other documents fraudulently.

Arrest of Key Members

DCP (task force) YVS Sudheendra announced the arrest of six individuals, including Raj Kumar, his staff K Pallavi and Vijay Lakshmi, passport agent B Shankar, GHMC computer operator G Anil Kumar, and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) employee Mohammed Mahmood.

The investigation revealed that Raj Kumar had created an extensive network to facilitate "customised solutions" by offering either fake or fraudulently obtained genuine documents.

Scale of the Scam

Since 2015, Raj Kumar’s operation has been linked to the creation of 15,000 fake voter IDs, 10,000 fake Aadhaar cards, 2,000 fake birth certificates, 1,500 fake PAN cards, and 20 fake passports. He allegedly earned Rs 4 lakh per month by issuing these documents, charging at least Rs 10,000 for arranging a genuine Aadhaar card through fraudulent means, as per police sources cited by TOI.

Stamps and Certifications Misused

Police seized stamps of four professionals, including three doctors and a former government officer, used by the gang to create fake proofs of certification. While the officers and doctors were found innocent, their stamps and signatures were misused to process fraudulent applications, TOI reported.

Inputs from TOI