📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ms Sarah Welch
Crime
Around 40 Fake Passports Linked to Bhopal Monastery Address, STF Probes 70 Holders
✍️ Amar Ujala · Bhopal
🗓 11 Sep 2026, 10:17 AM
👁 32
Investigators uncovered that roughly 40 passports were issued using the address of a Bhopal monastery, prompting the Special Task Force to verify the identities of 70 applicants.
The Special Task Force (STF) in Madhya Pradesh has launched a detailed probe after discovering that about 40 passports were processed using the postal address of a monastery in Bhopal. The investigation, part of a broader fake‑passport racket, is now focusing on verifying the documents and personal details of 70 individuals whose applications were linked to the same address.
Preliminary findings indicate that the monastery's address was repeatedly cited in passport applications submitted to the regional passport office. Authorities suspect that the address was being misused to conceal the true identities of applicants and to facilitate illegal overseas travel.
STF officials are cross‑checking the authenticity of supporting documents, such as proof of residence and identity proofs, while also contacting local police for verification. The agency has not disclosed the names of the passport holders, but it confirmed that the verification process is ongoing and may lead to further arrests.
The incident has raised concerns about the robustness of the passport issuance system and the potential for organized crime networks to exploit institutional loopholes. Senior police officials have assured the public that corrective measures will be taken to tighten address verification protocols.
Preliminary findings indicate that the monastery's address was repeatedly cited in passport applications submitted to the regional passport office. Authorities suspect that the address was being misused to conceal the true identities of applicants and to facilitate illegal overseas travel.
STF officials are cross‑checking the authenticity of supporting documents, such as proof of residence and identity proofs, while also contacting local police for verification. The agency has not disclosed the names of the passport holders, but it confirmed that the verification process is ongoing and may lead to further arrests.
The incident has raised concerns about the robustness of the passport issuance system and the potential for organized crime networks to exploit institutional loopholes. Senior police officials have assured the public that corrective measures will be taken to tighten address verification protocols.