Special Correspondent
Pune: In a major breakthrough, Swargate police have arrested a 34-year-old Bangladeshi national, Ehsan Hafiz Shaikh, for being in possession of numerous forged identity documents and foreign currency. The suspect, a resident of Mahershinar, Zambare Palace in Swargate, was found with eight PAN cards, 15 Aadhaar cards, two voter IDs, two driving licenses, three passports, and several other fake documents, including birth certificates, school-leaving certificates, and business-related paperwork.
Authorities also recovered foreign currency from multiple countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, and Malaysia, during the investigation.
The arrest followed a tip-off from activists, including groups like Pati Pawan Sangathan, Krantiveer Sena, and Sakal Hindu Samaj, who grew suspicious about Shaikh’s nationality. During preliminary investigations, it was revealed that Shaikh had been in India for over a decade, initially working in the garment trade before starting his own business, “AS Enterprises.”
However, he was caught when he failed to present valid proof of Indian citizenship, as the documents he provided were all forgeries. Authorities discovered that Shaikh had entered India in 2004 through an agent named Ujjal, and used a fake birth certificate from RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata to obtain further fraudulent documents.
Police also discovered international contacts in his phone linked to Bangladesh, including individuals with names like Ahad Mama and Akramul, which corroborated his origins from Sonakanda Bazar, Mymensingh district in Bangladesh.
Further investigation has revealed that Shaikh had operated businesses across several cities, including Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Pune, using forged GST certificates, import-export documents, and business registrations. The authorities are now intensifying their investigation into the larger syndicate responsible for manufacturing fake documents for illegal immigrants.
This arrest highlights the serious implications of forged identity documents in India, raising concerns over national security and the ease with which illegal immigrants can infiltrate the country. Authorities are working to strengthen verification processes to prevent similar incidents in the future and protect the integrity of national systems.
