BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has uncovered a major fake passport racket with the arrest of an Afghan national, who had been living illegally in India for over ten years using forged documents. Two local accomplices were also detained in connection with the operation.
The main accused, Sohbat Khan, son of Badruddin Khan, was residing in the Chhoti Omti area of Jabalpur. According to officials, Khan had previously married and divorced an Indian woman, which may have helped him blend into the local community. Investigators say he was involved in preparing forged property documents in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, which were later used to obtain an Indian passport fraudulently in 2020.
Links to Larger Network and Suspected Terror Ties
The ATS revealed that about 20 fake passports have been traced so far, including those belonging to two West Bengal residents—Akbar and Iqbal—who are suspected to have terrorist affiliations. Khan had also managed to obtain a driver’s license in Jabalpur in 2015, again using fake documents.
Local Accomplices Identified
The two Indian accomplices have been identified as:
- Dinesh Garg (40), a forest guard and current employee in the Municipal Corporation’s election cell in Vijay Nagar
- Mahendra Kumar Sukhad (45), a resident of Katanga
Investigations indicate that the group manipulated passport addresses online, switching West Bengal data with local Madhya Pradesh addresses. Authorities believe that bribes totaling nearly ₹10 lakh may have been paid to officials in various local agencies—including police and postal departments—to facilitate the forgery and issuance of official documents.
Ongoing Investigation
The ATS is currently interrogating the trio to uncover the full extent of the network, including those responsible for creating fake documents and assisting in the issuance of passports. More arrests are likely as the probe deepens.
Authorities are also examining whether the racket has wider national security implications, especially given the suspected terror links associated with some of the individuals whose passports were forged.
The case underscores growing concerns about document fraud and illegal residency, particularly involving foreign nationals, and highlights the need for tighter scrutiny in the passport issuance process.
