Surat: Kapodra Police have arrested one individual for generating bogus Aadhaar and PAN cards using forged signatures and fake seals of Varachha Assembly MLA Kumar Kanani. The accused, who reportedly holds an MBA, had been running the operation from a rented office for the past three and a half months.

On the evening of April 1, the surveillance team received information that a person named Deepak Patnaik was forging government documents, including Aadhaar and PAN cards. He was also creating fake signatures and stamps of MLAs and other officials on name and address change forms, charging customers for the service, and submitting these fraudulent documents on government websites without their knowledge.

Based on this intelligence, the Kapodra police launched an operation and arrested Deepak Kavirajbhai Patnaik, originally from Sambalpur, Odisha. Authorities seized forged seals in the name of the MLA, Aadhaar cards, a printer, a computer, pre-filled Aadhaar application forms, and blank forms from his possession.

Investigations revealed that Patnaik had counterfeit seals made in the name of Varachha Assembly MLA Kumar Kanani by a contact in his hometown, Sambalpur, Odisha. He had rented an office near Shanidev Maharaj, opposite Gate No. 4 of Kshama Society, near Kapodra Saurashtra Circle in Surat. From this office, he issued fake Aadhaar and PAN cards in exchange for money. Patnaik uploaded fraudulent forms on government portals and charged ₹200 per form for issuing fake Aadhaar and PAN cards. DeshGujarat