Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested a Government Railway Police (GRP) constable in connection with an alleged fake passport racket that enabled several individuals, including suspected gangsters from Delhi and Punjab, to obtain passports using forged documents. According to investigators, the constable allegedly verified documents containing fabricated names and addresses while he was posted at the Gorakhnath Police Station, facilitating the issuance of multiple passports. Police said 22 suspicious passport cases have so far been identified, and the investigation is expanding to trace other individuals believed to be part of the alleged network.
The arrested constable has been identified as Shashikant Yadav, a resident of Nasirpur Kusum village in Ghazipur district, who was currently posted with the Gorakhpur GRP section office. Investigators stated that during his tenure at Gorakhnath Police Station, he carried out police verification for around 45 passport applications. Of these, 22 applications have reportedly been found suspicious, with indications of forged identities, fabricated addresses, or fake supporting documents. Police are now examining how the passports were processed and identifying everyone involved in the alleged operation.
According to investigators, the allegedly forged police verification reports enabled applicants to obtain genuine passports despite using false identities. Officials believe the case points to the existence of an organised network involving document forgers, verification facilitators, and beneficiaries working together to obtain legitimate travel documents through fraudulent means. Financial transactions, document preparation, and other aspects of the alleged conspiracy are also being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
The investigation has brought several high-profile cases under scrutiny. One of them involves Dayal Mall, a resident of Amritsar, who allegedly obtained a passport in 2024 by using a fake address in the Lachhipur area of Gorakhpur. He was later arrested at Delhi Airport. Another case concerns Harsimran Singh alias Badal, a resident of Shalimar Bagh in Delhi, who is accused of securing a passport in 2024 under the name Rajesh Singh using the same Lachhipur address. He was arrested at Delhi Airport in December 2025.
Investigators describe the case involving alleged gangster Jobanjeet Singh alias Billa from Amritsar, Punjab, as one of the most significant discoveries in the probe. Police allege that he obtained a passport in the name of Deepu Singh, son of Sandeep Singh, by using forged documents linked to an address near Bhagwati Chauraha in Lachhipur. Authorities claim he travelled abroad using the passport before being deported from Indonesia, after which the alleged fraud came to light. Investigators believe this case led them to several other suspicious passport applications.
Police said Shashikant Yadav was posted at Gorakhnath Police Station in August 2023 and that the alleged fake passport verification network became active during his approximately 18-month tenure there. He was suspended and transferred to the police lines in February 2025 before being posted to the GRP around six months ago. Investigators are now scrutinising his role along with other passport verification cases handled during that period.
Police said the constable has been arrested and that the investigation is continuing to identify all those involved in preparing fake documents, facilitating fraudulent passport applications, and operating the alleged network. Authorities are examining passport records, verification reports, documentary evidence, and other materials collected during the investigation. Officials said further legal action will be taken against any individual whose involvement is established during the course of the probe, while efforts continue to uncover the full extent of the alleged fake passport racket.
