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In Bareilly district, a Jan Seva Kendra doubled as a hub for a sophisticated forgery operation. A joint police and SOG team has unearthed a racket generating lakhs of rupees every month by manufacturing fake Aadhaar cards, school certificates, and other crucial identity documents.
Forgery Behind Closed Counters
What appeared to be a humble Jan Seva Kendra in the village of Pachdaura Dohariya in Bareilly’s Bhojipura area was, in fact, a front for an elaborate document forgery racket. Authorities have now exposed a months-long operation that involved the creation and sale of fake Aadhaar cards, mark sheets, caste certificates, and a host of other identity documents.
The operation, which mimicked the appearance and structure of legitimate citizen services, was run by two individuals: Mohammad Faheem alias Guddu and Jiaul Mustafa. Both had set up what they named “Azhari Jan Seva Kendra” and an associated Aadhaar centre. Their setup, furnished with high-end tech including 11 laptops, scanners, PVC printers, and blank plastic Aadhaar cards, enabled them to forge near-authentic government documents on demand.
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Acting on a tip-off, the Special Operations Group (SOG) and local Bhojipura police raided the centre early Friday morning. The raid led to the arrest of both accused and seizure of incriminating material: 20 fake birth certificates, 15 forged residence proofs, multiple fake income and caste certificates, Bihar and UP Board mark sheets, 20 fabricated Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voter IDs, and dozens of blank Aadhaar templates.
Investigations revealed a clever use of an obscure website, “manualorg.space”, where the accused entered fabricated personal data to generate school mark sheets. These documents were subsequently used to produce fake Aadhaar cards and other forms of identity, which appeared authentic enough to bypass basic verification systems.
The entire operation was disturbingly low-cost. A single ₹100 recharge on the website allowed the accused to produce six to seven fake documents daily. The racket charged between ₹300 to ₹900 per certificate, depending on the type and complexity of the document. According to officials, over 650 forged documents have been produced and circulated so far, spanning states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand.
The story of Mohammad Faheem’s descent into criminal activity paints a stark picture of institutional oversight and individual failure. Between 2012 and 2019, and again from 2023 to early 2024, Faheem worked with the Baroda Uttar Pradesh Gramin Bank’s Bhojipura branch as a legitimate Aadhaar enrolment operator.
Trouble began when a customer lodged a complaint with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) after Faheem allegedly took a ₹100 bribe for document processing. The complaint led to Faheem’s removal. Feeling wronged by what he perceived as disproportionate punishment, Faheem pivoted to a more lucrative & illegal venture, setting up a counterfeit document business under the guise of public service.
This case exposes not just a local criminal enterprise but a broader ecosystem vulnerable to digital exploitation and impersonation. The bust has prompted calls for a deeper audit of all Jan Seva Kendras operating in the region, many of which continue to function with minimal oversight.
Both accused have been sent to judicial custody and booked under multiple sections of the BNS related to forgery, cheating, and cybercrime. SP North Mukesh Chandra Mishra stated that further investigations are underway to determine how many forged documents were used for official purposes, like admissions, loans, welfare schemes, etc.
About the author – Prakriti Jha is a student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, currently pursuing B.Sc. LL.B (Hons.) with a keen interest in the intersection of law and data science. She is passionate about exploring how legal frameworks adapt to the evolving challenges of technology and justice.
