Who is Indu Bhushan in the Bengal Fake Passport Case?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Indu Bhushan arrested for his role in a fake passport racket.
- Azad Mullick implicated as a key player in the operation.
- Investigation highlights serious national security concerns.
- ED focuses on the money laundering aspect of the case.
- 300 fake passports linked to illegal migration.
Kolkata, Oct 14 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprehended a crucial figure involved in a counterfeit Indian passport syndicate based in Chakdaha, located in the Nadia district of West Bengal, according to official sources.
The suspect, identified as Indu Bhushan, was also an associate of Azad Mullick, a Pakistani national detained earlier this year for his role in the same fraudulent passport scheme.
Mullick, originally from Pakistan, first acquired Bangladeshi citizenship through forged Indian identity documents and subsequently obtained Indian citizenship by the same means. He began orchestrating hawala and counterfeit Indian passport operations from his rented base in Kolkata.
During investigations by the ED, Mullick implicated Indu Bhushan as his accomplice.
The agency issued multiple summons to Mullick, which he disregarded.
Ultimately, on Tuesday, he was taken into custody by ED officials.
He was presented before a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata, where he was remanded to one-day ED custody and is set to appear in court again on Wednesday.
Charges against Indu Bhushan include procuring 300 counterfeit passports for illegal migrants, primarily from neighboring Bangladesh.
The investigation into this passport forgery racket was initially initiated by the West Bengal Police late last year, leading to several arrests.
Subsequently, the ED took over the investigation, focusing on the money laundering implications of the case.
In April, the ED achieved a significant breakthrough by capturing Azad Mullick.
Further investigations revealed that Mullick was not only running hawala and counterfeit passport operations but was also involved in arranging fake visas for individuals wishing to travel abroad.
The state police had already submitted a chargesheet in this case, identifying 130 individuals as suspects, 120 of whom were illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators, and a lookout notice has been issued against them.