East cops bust forged driving licence racket

GANGTOK, 08 July: The East District Police busted a fake driving licence racket with the arrest of the alleged forger and seizure of incriminating evidence on Friday. A press release issued by the Senior SP [East], Dr. MS Tuli, informs that the arrest followed from elaborate planning, effective police work and the deployment of decoys.
Put on the trail of the alleged forger by reliable sources, a decoy was sent to a photo-studio near MP Golai to order a fake driving licence. Sources, the Sr. SP informs, had indicated that fake diving licences were available at the said photo studio on a payment of Rs. 1,500.
The decoy sought such a driving licence under a fictitious name and the accused, one Raju Pradhan, took an advance of Rs. 800 and told the decoy to collect the driving licence the next day after paying the balance payment of Rs. 700, the press release details.
The next day, the decoy was handed over a Driving Licence issued in the name of Licensing Authority, Siliguri, for the fictitious name provided by him. The racket confirmed, a raid was conducted at the location and the accused taken into custody.
The release informs that several incriminating pieces of evidence, including partially fabricated licences, bundles of laminated cards [to be processed into fake licences], a computer and printer/ scanner were recovered from the photo-studio.
The Sr. SP adds that a preliminary scan of the computer has revealed a list of fake licences produced by the accused in the last two months of operation.
“East District Police will be following up on the leads revealed including any accomplices, if found to be involved in this racket,” the Sr. SP assures.
Meanwhile, a case under sections 418/ 420/ 465/ 468 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered. The press release adds that the accused is a known drug peddler who has been previously involved in two cases under the Sikkim Anti-Drugs Act at Sadar and Ranipool Police Stations.