Meerut: Uttar Pradesh Police have dismantled a sophisticated Aadhaar identity fraud network allegedly operating out of Badaun and Amroha districts. The racket, accused of tampering with biometric data of over 1,500 Aadhaar cardholders across at least 12 states, was cracked by a joint cyber operation led by SP Sambhal Krishna Kumar Bishnoi and ASP Anukriti Sharma. Four key individuals in their 20s have been arrested for orchestrating the scam.
The accused — Ashish Kumar, Dharmender Singh, and Raunak Pal from Badaun, along with Kasim Hussain from Amroha — reportedly exploited technical vulnerabilities in the UIDAI system to manipulate Aadhaar data. They face charges under the Aadhaar Act, IT Act, and Passport Act for crimes including cheating, identity theft, possession of forged seals, and unauthorized access to protected digital systems.
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According to police, the gang ran a well-structured network supported by 200 to 300 agents or “retailers” across multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, West Bengal, and Delhi. These intermediaries collected Aadhaar credentials from individuals looking to illegally modify personal details such as name, address, date of birth, and mobile number. They charged anywhere from ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 for each alteration. Investigations have revealed that over 1,500 Aadhaar cards were fraudulently updated, with around 400 fake documents — including forged birthdates and mobile numbers — uncovered so far. The gang also extended their forgery to ration cards, altering names and addresses using tampered biometric verification.
At the core of this operation was Ashish Kumar, a BTech dropout who allegedly designed counterfeit websites mimicking official Aadhaar and Passport Seva portals. These fake platforms were used by the gang’s network to input fraudulent data and generate forged identity documents. Access to these portals was sold for a fee to other operatives.
Police say the gang successfully bypassed UIDAI’s geo-fencing and real-time biometric verification by cloning the credentials of genuine Aadhaar operators. They used advanced tools to replicate iris scans and tamper with fingerprint scanners. Co-accused Kasim Hussain was instrumental in modifying these scanners to accept silicone-based fingerprint molds, created from impressions of real operators and unsuspecting individuals — many from low-income backgrounds. “These modified scanners allowed them to simulate a legitimate biometric scan, deceiving the Aadhaar system’s authentication checks,” said ASP Anukriti Sharma.
The racket did not stop at Aadhaar. The group also forged birth certificates and ration cards to back their Aadhaar alterations. Following the introduction of stricter document verification in December 2024, the gang adapted by generating over 20 fake passports through third-party websites, several of which were successfully uploaded into UIDAI’s database for authentication.
Police are continuing their investigation to identify more members of the network and determine the full extent of the scam.
