An STF team has arrested four members of a gang involved in creating fake mining royalty documents, along with a clerk from the Public Works Department (PWD), in Baghpat.
For the past ten years, the accused had been causing financial loss to the state government’s revenue by generating fake royalty documents purportedly from the Public Works Department and the Municipal Corporation.
Following their arrest, a case was registered against them at the Kotwali police station in Baghpat. Simultaneously, an investigation into the roles of other employees from the Public Works Department and the Municipal Corporation has been initiated.
Addressing a press conference at the Police Lines, ASP Brijesh Singh stated that, acting on a tip-off, the police—in coordination with the Baghpat police—arrested Naim Ali, Talib Ali, and Firoz Ali (residents of Nivada, Baghpat) and Arif (resident of Budhhapir, Siwal Khas, Meerut) from Indian Nursing Home in Nivada village, Baghpat.
During interrogation, the accused revealed that they, along with their associates, were causing revenue loss to the state government by creating fake mining royalty documents.
They explained that they used to receive the royalty bills from their associates, Rahul (alias Raja) and Ashutosh, via WhatsApp. These bills were not originally intended for use in other departments; instead, the accused would locate such bills, alter the dates, and use them. These royalty documents were supplied to contractors and clerks associated with the Public Works Department and Municipal Corporations in Sambhal, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Ghaziabad.
In exchange for these fake bills, the PWD clerks and contractors would pay a sum calculated at the rate of ₹20 per cubic meter of mined material. Meanwhile, they used to purchase ISTPs from Rahul and Ashutosh at a rate of ₹15 per cubic meter. Thus, acting in a criminal conspiracy, the accused fabricated genuine-looking mining department royalty documents (ISTPs) and supplied them to clerks and contractors across various districts of the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Municipal Corporation. This caused a financial loss to the state government’s revenue.
**A decade-long racket involving fake royalty documents**
The apprehended accused were in the process of handing over ISTPs to Mandeep, a PWD clerk and resident of Malakpur Patti, Baraut; Mandeep was subsequently arrested by the STF. This racket involving fake ISTPs had been operating for the past ten years.
PWD clerks and contractors were also colluding with the accused to make illicit gains. Consequently, information regarding other employees involved is being gathered. A case has been registered against all of them at the Baghpat Kotwali police station, and arrests have been made.
