Three Mumbai corporators helped Bangladeshi illegals get Indian IDs

Latif Gazhi being taken away by the police

Just a fortnight after the arrest of a 62-year-old grave-digger who forged documents for illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, another sensational racket has come to light - a few of the immigrants had got reference letters from three corporators from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Vasai-Virar. The letters stated that the corporators personally knew the Bangladeshis and vouched for them.

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BVA corporator Narendra Patil, Shiv Sena corporator Meghali Raut, and NCP corporator Pratiksha Ghuge. Pic/Hanif Patel

Just last week, mid-day had reported how the police uncovered the immigration racket being run right outside a courtroom by the unlikeliest kingpin - elderly grave-digger Latif Gazhi (62), who later turned out to be a master forger.

Investigators have managed to link Gazhi to at least 65 illegal immigrants to whom he supplied fake documents to prove they were Indian nationals - all for Rs 5,000.

After they arrested by the Special Branch of Mumbai Police, many of them provided bogus address proof from Hasnabad Gram Panchayat, 24 Pargana, West Bengal. When these were found to be forged, the Azad Maidan police registered an offence and began an intensive investigation.

Triple whammy
To their shock, they found that some of the Bangladeshis had provided PAN cards as proof, along with reference letters from three corporators, claiming to know the immigrants personally. These corporators have been identified as - Shiv Sena corporator Meghali Raut from Ward No 38 of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation; NCP corporator Pratiksha Ghuge from N-ward (Ghatkopar) of BMC; and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi corporator Narendra Patil from ward number 10 of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. The trio claim that their letterheads were stolen and that someone had forged the letters with their signatures.

Cop speak
"Till now, we have come across three such cases where the accused had applied for PAN cards with letters from corporators," said a police officer, adding, "If one doesn't have residence proof, then a corporator or MLA can vouch for them with a letter, mentioning that they know the applicant personally. These three coporators had done the same."

The investigation also revealed that one of the corporators issued the affidavit while the applicant was in Byculla jail. "This is a really serious issue that needs to be probed thoroughly," said another officer.

A senior cop added, "We need to question these corporators whether they really know these persons; if yes, then since when. And if they don't know them, why did they give an affidavit which has their signature and a photocopy of their ID card issued by their respective municipal corporations and signed by the municipal commissioner?"