Fake certificate racket busted in Pakur; Mastermind arrested from Godda

Kartik Kumar 

Pakur

Police in Jharkhand’s Pakur district have uncovered an alleged fake certificate racket and arrested its suspected mastermind from neighboring Godda district. The breakthrough came during an investigation into the preparation and circulation of forged government documents, officials said.

The case was registered at Mufassil Police Station following a written complaint by Navrottpur Panchayat Secretary Uttam Kumar Ghosh. Earlier, police had arrested Hemant Kumar Saha, a resident of Bagshisha village in Hirapur block, for allegedly preparing fake documents and collecting money from villagers.

During interrogation, Hemant reportedly revealed the names of other individuals involved in the operation. Acting on the information, police conducted a raid in Sonarchak village under the Pathargama police station area of Godda district and arrested Utkrisht Rathore alias Deepak, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the racket.

According to investigators, Hemant allegedly collected personal details and money from villagers by promising to arrange birth certificates, caste certificates, residential certificates, Aadhaar cards and other official documents. The information was then forwarded to Utkrisht, who allegedly used specialized software to create forged certificates. The fake documents were printed through cyber cafés and supplied back to customers.

Mufassil Police Station Officer-in-Charge Gaurav Kumar confirmed the arrest and said several suspicious documents were recovered from the accused. The seized materials are being examined to determine the extent of the fraud and identify other individuals linked to the network.

Police believe the racket may have operated across multiple rural areas, targeting people seeking government documents. Further investigations are underway, and authorities have indicated that more arrests could follow as the network’s full scope is uncovered.