New Delhi: In a significant breakthrough, the Delhi Police have busted a major fake identity document racket that involved the illegal preparation of Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID cards, and other government documents. Three accused have been arrested in the operation, while one remains absconding.
The racket was unearthed by the Central District Police team from Police Post Turkman Gate under Police Station Chandni Mahal. During a raid conducted on April 19, 2025, at a shop in Chitli Kabar, Delhi, police arrested Ashish (26) of Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, and seized numerous fake documents and technical equipment.
Seized Items Include Hundreds of Forged IDs
According to police sources, the seizures included:
- 121 forged Aadhaar cards
- 73 fake PAN cards, some with counterfeit holograms
- 181 voter ID cards
- Birth certificates and educational mark sheets
- Three laptops and six hard disks containing fake templates and image editing tools
“The accused were fraudulently updating Aadhaar details by misusing biometric systems — specifically fabricated rubber thumb impressions and pre-recorded iris scans of authorized operators,” said officials in a press release.
According to a release, the racket was unearthed by a vigilant team from Police Post Turkman Gate under Police Station Chandni Mahal.
As per the release, upon search, “a large quantity of forged documents, including fake PAN cards, voter ID cards, birth certificates, and educational mark sheets, were recovered. The investigation revealed that the accused were fraudulently accessing the Aadhaar update system using fabricated rubber thumb impressions and pre-recorded iris scans of genuine operators.”
The release said that “further interrogation led to the arrest of two more individuals, Satish alias Jimmy and Md. Firoz, both actively involved in preparing and supplying fake documents. Seizures included 121 Aadhaar cards, 73 PAN cards (some with counterfeit holograms), 181 voter ID cards, numerous birth certificates, mark sheets, three laptops, and six hard disks containing image editing software and fake document templates.”
According to the release, a case under Sections 318(2)/319(2)/337/61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 34 of the Aadhaar Act has been registered at PS Chandni Mahal.
“This is a matter of grave concern as Aadhaar is a primary identity document for various essential services, and such frauds can severely impact KYC processes and national security,” said DCP Central District, M Harsha Vardhan.
As per the release, further investigations are ongoing to trace additional members of the syndicate and assess the extent of identity and financial fraud caused by the racket.
More Arrests and Widening Investigation
Following the arrest of Ashish, further interrogation led to the apprehension of two more suspects:
- Satish alias Jimmy (36) from Uttam Nagar, Delhi
- Md. Firoz from Daryaganj, Delhi
Another accused, Toshif, is still on the run and efforts are underway to nab him.
Legal Action Initiated Under BNS and Aadhaar Act
A case has been registered under Sections 318(2), 319(2), 337, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 34 of the Aadhaar Act at Police Station Chandni Mahal.
DCP Central District M Harsha Vardhan stated, “This is a matter of grave concern as Aadhaar is a primary identity document used for accessing essential services. Such fraudulent activities pose a direct threat to national security and the integrity of KYC processes.”
Security Implications and Next Steps
The police are now working to identify other members of the document forgery syndicate and assess the potential misuse of these fake identities in areas such as financial fraud, illegal immigration, and terrorism-related risks.
Authorities have also urged UIDAI and related agencies to review biometric data security protocols and strengthen Aadhaar update monitoring to prevent such fraudulent activity in the future.
Also read: Kashmiri Student Molested at Jamia University Hostel, Cook Arrested
