Fake Aadhaar card racket busted: 7 accused from 4 states arrested in Gujarat

Ahmedabad, April 28: After acting on a tip-off, a 36-year-old jobless software engineer and six others were on Wednesday arrested for making over 100 fake Aadhaar cards in Ahmedabad.

According to reports, from last nine months, Nilesh Mistry had been volunteering for drug-trials by pharmaceutical companies. Mistry was arrested by Sola police from his residence in Sector 6 of Chanakyapuri locality in Ghatlodia.

During the raid, the police recovered five fake aadhaar cards, a computer, photographs and documents from his residence. The seized computer has been sent to forensic experts, to collect more information.

How Mistry made fake Aadhaar cards?

The police officials investigating the case said Mistry used to click a photograph of an original Aadhaar card. Then, after uploading that photo on his computer, he used to make edits in the name and number of Aadhaar card.

Then, he used to take its printout on a good quality paper and to give it an original look, he used to get it laminated. He used to charge Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 for forging the Aadhaar cards. The fake cards Aadhaar cards were also used for opening bank accounts.

To make extra money, he used fake Aadhaar cards, so he could appear for multiple trials without the mandatory 3-month gap between them.

Shockingly, many got easily trapped in his trick and rarely anyone went for its verification, except a few companies.

Police suspect nationwide racket

Mistry was not alone behind this bluff, but he had a group of few unemployed



youth, who were his accomplices.

Other accused-Dilip Jagani of Nikol in Ahmedabad, Chandrasinh Solanki of Bhavnagar, Vrushabh Kale and Mahesh Nindhot from Washim district in Maharashtra, Anand Pandey of Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh and Saurabh Pande of Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, were also arrested alongwith Mistry.

One of the accused is said to be a minor. All the accused have been arrested under Indian Penal Code section of forgery.

Police is suspecting that the racket run by Mistry could be nationwide as other accused belong to states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Gujarat police has alerted their counterparts in these three states and have already initiated an investigation into the matter.

Inspector C L Solanki was quoted saying as, 'Members of his peer group have appeared for clinical trials in companies based in Gota, Dholka, Ambli, Changodar, Prahladnagar, Thaltej and Vadodara. It is yet to be ascertained whether he had any role in connecting the youths from different states with the companies, while adding, 'As of now, we got to know of the two pharma companies' trial facilities where he used to volunteer.'

Mistry lost job in 2007

During the investigation, it was revealed that Mistry lost his job during 2007 recession, when he was earning Rs 35,000 per month.

From then onwards, his earnings went down and then he joined a government organisation on contract for five years and later he joined a private company. In 2015, his per month income was Rs 15,000 only.