Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh: In a shocking case of identity theft and financial fraud, a man from Bihar has been arrested for using a West Bengal woman’s Aadhaar card to open a bank account and dupe multiple victims with fake medical college admission letters. The accused, identified as Rohit Ranjan alias Pankaj Kumar Sharma, originally hails from Gaya district in Bihar but had been living in Suryawa, Bhadohi district, Uttar Pradesh, police said.
Victim Unaware of Aadhaar Misuse
The woman whose Aadhaar card was misused, Priya Mandal Sarkar, 25, from Nadia district in West Bengal, works as a labourer. Married to a mason named Amit Mandal, she reportedly had no knowledge of the fraudulent activities until police visited her home for questioning.
Authorities said Rohit allegedly used Priya’s Aadhaar details to obtain a SIM card and conduct multiple frauds targeting aspiring medical students.
Accused Booked Under Multiple Sections
The fraudulent activities reportedly took place between September 29 and November 16, 2023. A case was registered at Suryawa police station in Bhadohi following a report forwarded by Haringhata police, West Bengal.
The accused faces charges under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
- Section 406 – Criminal breach of trust
- Section 419 – Impersonation
- Section 420 – Cheating
- Sections 465, 467, 468 – Forgery-related offences
He is also booked under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act for digitally facilitated fraud.
Victims Duped on Promise of Medical College Admission
Bhadohi Superintendent of Police, Abhimanyu Manglik, revealed that Rohit pretended to be a representative of the Medical Council Committee in New Delhi. He allegedly cheated a local youth named Gufran, extracting Rs 10 lakh by providing fake admission documents for a medical college in Kolkata.
Another victim reportedly lost Rs 8 lakh under similar circumstances. Manglik noted that the accused’s modus operandi involved convincing students and their families that he could secure admissions in reputed medical colleges, after which he would collect large sums of money.
UP STF Arrests Fraud Accused from Maharashtra
The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) recently arrested the accused from Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, on August 24, according to PTI reports. He was wanted in a multi-crore fraud case registered earlier in Prayagraj.
Authorities emphasized that the case highlights the growing trend of identity theft and cyber fraud, where criminals exploit personal information, such as Aadhaar and mobile numbers, to carry out financial scams. Police have assured strict legal action against the accused and are investigating whether more individuals were duped across different states.
Police Take Strong Action
Bhadohi police have impounded documents, SIM cards, and bank records associated with the case. SP Manglik stated that the accused will be produced in court and added that families should remain vigilant about sharing personal information online or offline to prevent similar frauds in the future.
The case has drawn attention to the urgent need for public awareness on Aadhaar misuse and strict monitoring of online and offline educational scams
