Delhi Police busts gang issuing fake caste certiffcates; govt. oficial held
Four people, including an Executive Magistrate at the Delhi government’s Revenue Department, have been arrested by the police for issuing over 100 fake caste certicates in the national capital. The gang was busted after two Delhi Police personnel impersonating customers from the general category approached the accused to get fake caste certicates.
The accused would issue fraudulent Other Backward Class (OBC), Scheduled Caste (SC), and Scheduled Tribe (ST) certicates for fi3,000-4,000 and upload the same on the Delhi government’s Revenue Department website, said a senior Delhi Police oficer.
The gang was active for nearly four months and thrived on an extensive network of touts, the oficer added.
“We are in the process of ascertaining the authenticity of 111 certicates issued by the accused,” the oficer also said.
An FIR was registered at the Crime Branch police station on May 10 under IPC Sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
When reached for comment, the Delhi government did not respond.
The accused were identied as Narender Pal Singh, the Executive Magistrate; Chetan Yadav, a contractual employee at the Executive Magistrate’s ofce; Waris Ali, Mr. Singh’s driver; and Saurabh Gupta, a vegetable vendor.
The police received a tip-ofi about the racket nearly three months ago. To verify the input, a constable impersonating a customer belonging to the general category was sent to the accused on March 13 to get an OBC certicate. He was given the certicate in lieu of fi3,500. The police then sent another decoy customer on March 20, who also received an OBC certicate after paying fi3,000.
Subsequently, a team was constituted to nab all the culprits engaged in the operation.
“On May 9, a trap was laid in Sangam Vihar, from where Saurabh Gupta was arrested. His mobile phone was checked from where the chats with the decoy customers were retrieved,” said Mr. Paweriya.
From the leads obtained through the interrogation of Mr. Gupta, the police nabbed Mr. Yadav on May 14, Mr. Ali on May 22, and Mr. Singh on May 27.
“What we found was that Ali used to apply for the certicates on behalf of the customers. He would upload their fake documents, such as residential proof, caste certicates of other family members, etc., and share details of the applicant with Chetan Yadav,” the senior oficer added.
“Chetan would forward the details to Waris, who would approve the application using the Executive Magistrate’s signature, upload the documents on the government portal, and pass ofi a share of the bribe to the oficial,” the DCP also said.
“We are analysing the data obtained so far. We will also act against those who got these certicates based on fake documents,” the DCP added.