Fake documents land two passport aspirants in trouble

OST Bureau Report 

BHUBANESWAR: July 27 :

Two persons were arrested on Friday for producing fake matriculation certificates to secure passports.

The regional passport office here  sprung to action after it detected two fake matriculation certificates had been submitted by two applicants , Nirakar Ojha (23) and Kaluram Maharana (25) and handed them over to the police.

The regional passport officer, Padma Mahanti said, Ojha, a resident of Kendrapada, and Maharana from Ganjam had produced fake matriculation certificates in order to get their passports. Both wanted to go to Dubai to work in a construction company, sources in the passport office said.

The accused had, reportedly, taken the the help of a broker and had paid Rs 2,500 for the fake matriculation certificates.

Inquiry by OST revealed that groups of racketeers and brokers operate openly at the passport office and generate fake documents on age and residence proof of ‘desperate’ applicants for a hefty price.

Passport officials, however, rejected suggestions that there was a nexus between these racketeers and passport office officials.