Meerut:Two constables in Meerut have been suspended for their involvement in issuing fake passports to two henchmen of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The suspensions come after a thorough investigation revealed that the constables were negligent in their official duties, leading to the issuance of passports under fraudulent circumstances, said the police.
The incident came to light when two associates of Bishnoi, Rahul Kumar and Mahendra Kumar, fled to Dubai using fake documents, the police pointed out. The duo had been involved in extortion activities, demanding crores of rupees, and were being pursued by the Bikaner Crime Branch. To evade arrest, they used forged documents, including passports, obtained through a cyber café operator, Raju Vaidya, based in Meerut's Kankarkheda area, the police said.
According to the police, Raju, who had deep connections with the Ghaziabad passport office, had prepared fake documents, including Aadhaar cards, using a fabricated address in Shraddhapuri, Kankarkheda. Both accused henchmen stayed in Meerut for seven days in April, during which Raju arranged for the creation of their fake identities, the police found out. He then applied for passports, which were quickly processed and issued after the Kankarkheda police reportedly failed to conduct proper on-the-ground verification.