Ludhiana: Fake bail racket busted in Khanna, key players held
Khanna police have busted an organised gang involved in securing court bails using forged documents. Two key members of the gang, including the mastermind, have been arrested in a well-coordinated raid led by the local police.
According to senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jyoti Yadav, the arrested accused have been identified as Surjit Singh, a resident of village Durgapur in Patiala district, and Mahima Singh of Rajpura. Both were apprehended red-handed at the tehsil complex in Khanna while allegedly attempting to process another fraudulent bail application.
The police recovered nine fake Aadhaar cards, a counterfeit official seal of a naib-tehsildar, a fraudulent property valuation certificate, and other bogus paperwork.
'The gang had been misleading courts using these documents and had successfully managed to get bail in more than 25 cases', said the SSP.
'The gang's modus operandi was both cunning and systematic. They would first obtain the Aadhaar card of a real individual and alter minor details like the date of birth or a single alphabet in the name. A new photo would be affixed to create a false identity. Fake land ownership records were also generated and stamped with forged government seals. Using these papers, the gang members would present themselves as sureties in court and help secure bails for the accused', she added.
Police investigations revealed that the gang had been charging hefty sums ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹70,000 per fake bail. In cases involving more serious criminal charges, the price would increase.
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