4 min readPuneMay 2, 2025 08:00 PM IST
First published on: May 2, 2025 at 08:00 PM IST
The Anti Terrorist Bureau (ATB) of Pimpri Chinchwad police have busted a racket of producing fake witnesses in the court to secure bail of Bangladeshi migrants arrested over illegal stay.
Police Havaldar Dattatraya Nikam of ATB, on Thursday, lodged an FIR at the Bhosari MIDC police station, against the racketeers, including lawyers.
As per the FIR, three Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in September 2023 from Moshi in Pimpri Chinchwad, with possession of fake Indian Aadhaar card and PAN cards, Bangladeshi currency and other items. They were booked under sections of the Passport Act and Foreigners Act for allegedly entering India illegally and procuring fake Indian documents from West Bengal. A magistrate court in Pimpri released them on bail in 2024.
ATB then checked the court documents. It revealed that persons claiming to be residents of rural areas in Bhor taluka of Pune district had appeared as witnesses before court to fulfill the bail conditions of three accused Bangladeshi nationals.
Police found this suspicious as the possibility of villagers from Bhor having any association with allegedly illegal Bangladeshi migrants was low. Police then took permission from the court to verify the witnesses.
An ATB team led by police inspector Vikas Raut checked the documents such as Aadhaar cards, 7/12 extracts of farmers in Bhor (a crucial land record), submitted by the persons who appeared as witnesses. “Probe confirmed that these Aadhaar cards were fake, whereas the copies of 7/12 extracts were true,” said inspector Raut.
Police suspect that fraudsters procured 7/12 extracts online. Then, they prepared fake Aadhaar cards carrying the name and address of the villagers as mentioned on these 7/12 extracts, but the photographs were of the imposters who appeared as fake witnesses before court.
Police said fake documents submitted by the fake witnesses were admitted by the court and subsequently the accused Bangladeshi nationals were released on bail.
During investigation, ATB sleuths contacted the villagers whose 7/12 extracts were used by the fraudsters. The villagers said they have no association with any Bangladeshi accused persons and had never appeared before the Pimpri court as witnesses for securing their bail.
Police then lodged a fresh offence under Indian Penal Code sections 419, 468, 471, 229(a), 34, against the three illegal Bangladeshi migrants who were granted bail on the basis of fake witnesses. As per a press release issued Friday, the accused never came before court for hearings after being released on bail. Police said they were not found on their previous addresses, so a probe is on to trace their location and arrest them.
Police have also booked the fake witnesses and those who prepared their forged Aadhaar cards. As stated in the FIR, police have booked the lawyers representing the Bangladeshi accused, as they were allegedly aware that these witnesses were fake, but still produced them before court.
Police said no arrests have been made yet. A search is on for the fake witnesses and other racketeers. Assistant police inspector Amit Patil of Bhosari MIDC police station is investigating the case further.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivaji Pawar said, “To prevent these crimes, we plan to request the courts for verification of witnesses in such cases related to illegal foreign nationals, before granting them bail.”
Even in July last year, the Pimpri Chinchwad police had booked a few lawyers in connection with FIR lodged by Rahul Bansode (34), resident of Bhosari, alleging that without his knowledge and consent, a forged Aadhaar card in his name was submitted before a court in Pimpri to secure bail for illegal Bangladeshi migrants in January 2024.
Police said fake documents submitted by the fake witnesses were admitted by the court and subsequently the accused Bangladeshi nationals were released on bail. (File photo) 
Share
