The issuance of the fake passport allowed Rajan -- a wanted criminal and accused in several heinous crimes, to abscond from the country after a red corner Interpol notice that was issued against him in 1995.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in 1998, three passport officials connived and fraudulently obtained passports under fictitious identities for Rajendra Sadashiv Nikhalje more popularly known as Chhota Rajan.
In the charge sheet, the probe agency accused the three retired officials, Jayashree Rahate, Deepak Natvarlal Shah and Lalitha Laxamanan, of procuring an Indian passport in the fictitious name of Mohan Kumar s/o Damodar R/o H No 107/B, Old M C Road, Azad Nagar, Mandya Karnataka on the "basis of fake and fabricated documents so as to conceal the identity of the accused."
In its charge sheet that was filed on February 2, CBI officials state that Laxmanan - the then Assistant Regional Passport Office (RPO), Bangalore accepted a passport renewal application for Mohan Kumar that had fake identity documents attached to it. Passport number F00455 was originally issued to Enyat Akmal Khan. This passport was cancelled and a new passport was issued against it when Khan applied for a renewal of his passport.
Laxmanan, Rahate and Shah conspired together by using the canceled passport number F00455 to issue a renewed passport for Rajan under the fictitious identity of Mohan Kumar. The three officials abused their position as public officials ignored thwarted attempts at internal checks, did not send requests for police verification as required and ignored all discrepancies before issuing a fresh passport for Rajan under the name of Mohan Kumar with passport number A6705840. The three officials went a step further and destroyed all evidence of their crime.
The issuance of the fake passport allowed Rajan -- a wanted criminal and accused in several heinous crimes, to abscond from the country after a red corner Interpol notice that was issued against him in 1995.
Pursuant to their investigation CBI officials have proved that Mohan Kumar, the address as printed on the passport and all identity papers associated with this individual do not exist.
Underworld gangster Chhota Rajan was apprehended by the authorities in December 2015 for impersonating Mohan Kumar and traveling with a fake passport issued under this name.
A special CBI court here on Monday granted bail to the three retired public servants all officials of the Regional Passport Office, Bengaluru, who were present today in court in pursuance to a summons issued to them. Accepting a bail bond of Rs. 50,000, the court has directed the accused not to leave the country without its prior permission.
During the brief hearing, the CBI told the court that they would supply copies of the documents filed by it along with the charge sheet to the accused. Special Judge Vinod Kumar who presided over the proceedings has set the next hearing for March 30 for scrutiny of documents by the accused.
Rajan is currently lodged in judicial custody in Tihar jail. The four accused have been charged under sections 120-B, 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 of the Indian Penal code and 13(2) read with 1(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and substantive offences thereof. The charges above deal with corruption, forgery and cheating.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}