Bengal cracks down on massive passport forgery racket with new app for enhanced verification

Bengal has recently uncovered a significant passport forgery racket involving the use of fake Aadhaar cards to create counterfeit passports. The racket involved a network producing multiple fraudulent passports by bypassing the standard verification processes. This raised serious concerns about the integrity of the passport verification system. In response, the state government is taking swift action to address the situation and tighten controls on the process.

The Bengal government is set to introduce a new mobile application to streamline the passport verification process and prevent fraud. The app will allow all documents related to passport applications, including Aadhaar cards, to be verified online. Once an applicant’s documents are verified, a police officer will visit the applicant's residence to take a photograph of both the applicant and the officer involved in the verification process. This will ensure that the police officer’s identity is directly linked to the verification, increasing transparency and reducing the chances of fraud.

The app will also address concerns about the authenticity of Aadhaar cards submitted with passport applications. The state government has collaborated with the Aadhaar authority to verify the authenticity of Aadhaar numbers. Through the app, the Aadhaar cards will be scanned and checked against the official database, allowing officials to confirm whether the Aadhaar number is genuine. This step will prevent the submission of counterfeit Aadhaar cards in passport applications, which has been a significant issue in the recent fraud cases.

The measures come after the Alipore Court raised concerns regarding the passport verification process, criticizing the police for their involvement in the irregularities. The court questioned why no action had been taken against police officers who were responsible for verifying the fraudulent passports. Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma responded by stating that an investigation would be conducted to determine the areas of negligence in the verification process. He assured that corrective actions would follow based on the findings of the investigation.

The state government expects that this app, along with the enhanced verification process, will make it difficult for fraudulent documents to be used in passport applications. By increasing accountability with photo verification and authenticating Aadhaar cards, the government aims to ensure that only genuine documents are used in the passport application process. These measures are part of a broader effort to restore public trust in the passport issuance system and eliminate instances of document forgery.