Two booked for misusing the national emblem in Thane

Representational picture

Two people have been booked by the Thane police for allegedly misusing the national emblem on letterheads and visiting cards, police said on Tuesday.

One of the accused, Lalman Pandey, allegedly posed as an official of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by using the national emblem on his letterheads and visiting cards, a police spokesperson said.

According to rules, the Emblem of India can only be used as per provisions of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act-2005 and any unauthorised use is punishable under the law.

Based on a complaint received from the NHRC, the city police conducted a probe and found that Pandey had also posed as a member of the central government's Hindi Advisory Board by using fake letterheads and visiting cards with the national emblem printed on them, the spokesperson said.

She said Pandey claimed that one Gulam Ali Khan met him at the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi back in January this year and gave him an appointment letter and visiting cards of the NHRC, following which the accused decided to run an office of the human rights body in Kalyan.

Pandey also appointed five people from Pune as office-bearers of the NHRC, he said. Following the probe, the police on Monday registered several offences against Pandey and Gulam Ali Khan under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating), 465, 468 (forgery) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and the Emblems and Names Act, he said, adding that no arrest had been made so far.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates