Fraudsters have agents in offices where these cards are issued, including Mee Seva centres and GHMC
In a country where every vote is considered precious, the voter identity card is one of the most crucial documents. And that card is now turning out to be the fraudster’s favourite bunny.
And they are not alone. The fraudsters have agents in offices where voter ID cards are issued, including in Mee Seva centres and that too, taking the help of contract employees of civic bodies and the Mee Seva centres, according to the police.
The Hyderabad City Police had arrested a gang involved in such fraud a couple of months ago. Of the nine arrested, the suspects also included contract employees of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and Mee Seva centres.
Sources said these agents offered voter ID cards at prices ranging between Rs 500 and Rs 1,200, with the time taken to ‘arrange’ the card being from one day to maximum of a week. The ‘customer’ either provides the fake identity details or sometimes the agents themselves take care of it.
“We have found out that lower level staff at some of the Mee Seva centres and the GHMC have colluded with these agents to issue bogus voter ID cards. They take care of filling up forms and submitting them. The process of duplication is done secretively. There is no evidence yet of higher authorities being involved,” a senior Task Force official said.
A couple of years ago, it was revealed that the suspects in the Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case had procured such fake voter cards. There were other instances too, including that of underworld gangster Abu Salem and his associates too procuring such fake cards. More recently, in the contract marriage case reported in Falaknuma, the agents had procured a passport for a minor girl using a fake voter card as one of the documents. Some foreigners and illegal migrants too were found with these fake ID cards, officials said.
Using these voter ID cards as address proof, other documents such as passport and Aadhar card too can be obtained. The ownership of properties can also be changed using voter ID cards as address and proof or to make any changes in documents.
Police say though the percentage of duplication of voter ID cards is comparatively less than that of other documents, a little bit of precaution from authorities concerned to enhance security features for the voter ID card could go a long way in preventing such frauds.
Courtesy: Telangana Today
