Fake surety racket busted in Bengaluru

NT Correspondent Bengaluru In a major crackdown on organised fraud within the city’s courts, Halasuru Gate Police of the Central Division have arrested eight people who were allegedly operating a fake surety racket, providing forged documents to secure bail for accused persons. According to police, the arrested include K. Rafi (33) from Huvinahadagali in Vijayanagara district; S.G. Praveen Kumar (32) from Singahalli, Yelahanka Taluk, Bengaluru; Abhishek (33) from Tipatur, Tumakuru district; Govinda Nayak (37) from Mysurammadoddi, Anekal Taluk; Doriraju (32) from Gangonahalli, Ramanagara district; Aabid Vaseem (46) from Gurappapalya, BTM Layout; Ahammad Zubair (23) from Yesnantpur; and T.D. Govindaraju (32) from Tavarekere, Turuvekere Taluk. Police have seized a staggering cache of forged documents and equipment from the gang, including 47 fake Aadhaar cards, fake RTCs (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops), 122 counterfeit documents of various types, pen drives, and seven mobile phones. The arrests were made after the 4th ACJM (Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate) court’s Sheristadar D. Selvaraj and Halasuru Gate Police Sub-Inspector Bhagavantralaya Masyal filed two separate cases against the accused. According to investigating officers, the accused were creating fake Aadhaar cards, RTCs, mutation documents, and forged salary slips from various government departments. They would identify accused persons seeking bail, produce fake sureties posing as local residents, and submit fabricated documents in court to secure their release. The fraudsters were using the ‘Bhoomi app’ – Karnataka’s official land records portal.