Hyderabad: The Shamsabad zone’s special operation team (SOT) arrested a gang for creating fake vehicle registration certificates (RCs) and Aadhar cards on Tuesday. The gang of seven was also in the business of selling cars and motorcycles.
The SOT seized 1,200 fake vehicle registration certificates, 29 stamps, personal computers and printers, and other relevant documents from them.
The seven accused have been identified as 32-year-old Chamana Sathish and 44-year-old Kaligeedi Chandrashekar from West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, 50-year-old Shaik Jhangeer Basha and 35-year-old Syed Hussain from Hyderabad, 29-year-old M Ganesh from East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, 36-year-old Ramesh from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, and Sampath (absconding) from Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
The original RC was stolen from several roads and transport authority (RTA) offices by Hussain and Sampath, who sold it to Basha for Rs 200 per certificate, who subsequently sold it to Sathish for Rs 300 for each certificate. Sathish and Ganesh made fake vehicle registration certificates and Aadhar cards using information from prior clients provided by Shekar. They used nail polish remover to erase the information on the cards and printed the new information given by Shekar.
Shekar bought the printed RC from Sathish for Rs 700 to 900 per certificate. In the meantime, Ramesh took the RCs from Hussain, deleted the data, and reprinted the RC. Shekar and Ramesh then met with RTA agents Basha and Hussain, defrauded the RTA officials, and received the replacement RCs.
The SOT booked the accused under sections 468 and 471(forgery for purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport police station and Miyapur police station.
Following the incidence of such crimes in the city, the Cyberabad commissioner of police has urged people to refrain from acquiring vehicles without authentic registration certificates. If they do purchase such vehicles, they should update the ownership details immediately and avoid approaching agencies for RCs and licences.