Gwalior Fake Passport Probe Examines Bangladesh Monastery Links, More Than Ten Bank Accounts

Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): The Special Task Force (STF) is examining possible links to Bangladesh-based Buddhist monasteries as it investigates a racket suspected of obtaining Indian passports for Bangladeshi nationals using forged identity and address documents.

Investigators are also tracing payments connected to the alleged racket. More than 10 bank accounts have come under scrutiny for suspicious transactions, according to a report on the investigation. The STF is trying to establish who controlled the accounts, where the money came from and whether any payments moved through hawala channels. Those questions remain under investigation.

The suspected method began with Indian identity documents. Local Buddhist monastery addresses were allegedly used to obtain Aadhaar cards and voter IDs, which were then submitted with passport applications. Earlier reporting on the case said passports had been issued using monastery addresses in Madhya Pradesh.

The STF is now looking into whether people associated with monasteries in Bangladesh helped applicants enter the network or establish identities in India. The reported connection has not yet established wrongdoing by any monastery as an institution.

Investigators are also examining allegations that some applicants presented themselves as Buddhist followers to support their documents; their individual circumstances have yet to be established.

The repeated use of the same addresses has raised questions about how the applications passed verification. The reported probe includes the possible involvement of a Passport Seva Kendra employee, but collusion has not been established. Investigators are examining the processing trail to determine who handled the applications and whether checks were bypassed.

The financial and document inquiries are intended to identify those who arranged the applications and determine the full extent of the suspected network. The STF has not announced a conclusion on the alleged foreign links or hawala transactions.