5th arrest: Professional dancer in cop net

Shivsagar allegedly got her passport issued on a Pune address,where she never lived,by submitting forged documents as age and address proofs.

Shivsagar is the fifth to have been nabbed after constable Digambar Ghorpade was arrested for helping a suspected Dawood gang member,Sajid Batliwala,to procure a passport with a fake name and address.

Along with Ghorpade,passport agent Inayatali Abdul Hariyani was arrested on May 23. Last Friday,22-year-old model model Jiya Chopra and another passport agent,Arvind Rajendra Bhat (32) were arrested in Mumbai.

As per information from Bundgarden police,Shivsagar,a resident of Andheri,with the help of Bhat produced a fake address proof,school marksheet and a receipt of tax payment of the Pune Municipal Corporation. Sources said she had given Rs 50,000 for getting a passport and was not able to arrange various documents needed for the process. She then got in touch with Bhat. He,along with Hariyani,allegedly got the forged documents for her. Ghorpade is alleged to have got the verification done by forging the signatures of a senior police inspector.

Shivsagar got a passport with address B-702 DSK Apartment,B J Road Pune.

Shivsagar was produced in court on Sunday. Seeking police custody,public prosecutor S S Wadhawane said that the police wanted to get a sample of her signature and handwriting to match it with those in the application form for the passport. The defence lawyer,on the other hand,argued that Shivsagar has been a victim in the case and had got in touch with the agent as she wanted to get a passport as soon as possible because she wanted to go abroad to perform in a show.

M M Makandar,assistant commissioner of police and the investigating officer for the case,said in court,“The accused must have noticed the address while signing the application. She should have informed police about the wrong address.” Police said they will now find out if she had any other intention for getting the passport issued hastily. “She has travelled abroad three months after the passport was issued. The argument that she was in a hurry is baseless,” said a police officer.

Shivsagar,an architect by training,is a professional dancer and performs at dance shows. Police said she was uncooperative when asked about details in the matter. She will be in police custody till Tuesday.