STF Nabs Mastermind Pramod Nishad in Fake Aadhaar Racket

Bahraich | December 12, 2025:

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has busted a major fake Aadhaar card racket operating along the India–Nepal border and arrested its alleged mastermind, Pramod Kumar Nishad. Officials said the accused was caught while attempting to flee to Nepal near the Ranjanwa border, following weeks of surveillance.

According to Additional Superintendent of Police Vishal Vikram Singh, the STF had been tracking complaints related to forged Aadhaar cards in border districts for several months. The investigation stemmed from a case registered at Murtiha police station on October 29, 2025, in which multiple gang members were arrested earlier. Interrogation of those accused led investigators to Nishad, who allegedly controlled the technical and operational aspects of the racket.

During the early-morning operation around 4:30 a.m., STF teams intercepted Nishad near the border and recovered a laptop, mobile phone, biometric and retina scanners, webcam, forged documents, cheque book, ATM cards, ₹2,680 in cash, and a car. Officials confirmed that he has been booked in the existing case and that his financial records, digital wallets and electronic devices are now under detailed scrutiny.

During questioning, Nishad revealed that he had opened a Jan Seva Kendra in 2021 to provide online public services. About a year ago, he reportedly connected with a person identified as Aqeel Saifi through Telegram and WhatsApp. Saifi allegedly offered access to a fake Aadhaar generation portal, charging ₹35,000 for the software and login credentials.

Investigators said the fake portal was installed remotely on Nishad’s computer using AnyDesk. The system enabled the creation of forged birth and residence certificates, which were then used to issue new Aadhaar cards or modify existing records. Between January and March 2025 alone, Nishad admitted to creating nearly 2,500 fake Aadhaar cards, primarily targeting individuals aged between 0 and 18 years.

STF officials believe the racket catered to residents of border areas, including foreign nationals, raising serious concerns over national security. Nishad also confessed to selling portal access and login IDs to others in the network for ₹45,000 per ID, retaining a commission after paying the original supplier. Each login ID could reportedly generate 20–25 Aadhaar cards per day, pushing the total number of illegally created or altered Aadhaar records to over 18,000.

During subsequent searches, STF seized a large cache of digital equipment and forged records used to replicate government identification processes. Officials said forensic examination of the devices would help trace the portal’s developer, identify additional operators, and map the full extent of the network.

Authorities noted that such document fraud cases often involve layered financial transactions and concealed revenue streams. Tracking these money trails and identifying accountability gaps typically requires the kind of financial scrutiny carried out through auditing services in india especially when public systems and large-scale digital misuse are involved.

STF officials warned that cyber-enabled identity fraud is emerging as a major threat in border regions. Fake identity documents, they said, can facilitate illegal migration, human trafficking, smuggling and terror financing. Investigators are now analysing access logs, transaction histories and communication records to dismantle the wider network linked to the racket.