Army clerk, agents in passport racket

HYDERABAD: A seven-member gang which includes the upper division clerk of MCEME was busted by Begumpet police on Wednesday for arranging fake verification certificates by forging signatures of senior army officers for purpose of Tatkal passports.According to Begumpet police inspector Y Narasimha Reddy, the agents at regional passport office have been approaching applicants to provide verification certificates issued by senior army officials. The agents in turn were taking help of 48-year Yaswanth Singh, a UDC in Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Trimulgherry. The gang was forging certificates and using seals of various officials in the MCEME.Police launched a probe based on complaint of K Srikar Reddy, Regional passport officer who told police that he received fake verification certificates from S K Mohanty, Major FEME/ MCEME and H Shekar, Lt Col.Police initially apprehended Yaswanth Singh and on his confession, the other agents, Jangi Reddy, N D N Hashmi, Shaikh Ghouse, M Mahender Reddy, N Dashrath and B Shashi Gupta.“The agents used to collect upto `12,000 from applicants for certificates. Yashwanth Singh was taking `4,000 for each certificate,” the inspector said. Police have registered cases under section 420, 468, 471 of IPC and 12(B) of Indian Passport Act against the accused.