The Uttar Pradesh Police Friday booked a 68-year-old woman of Pakistani origin in Bareilly for allegedly obtaining an Aadhaar card and ration card through fraudulent means. The woman has been residing in India for nearly six decades on a long-term visa.
The police said that during a campaign against Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals staying illegally in the district, they received a tip-off about a Pakistan-born woman allegedly availing government schemes using forged documents.
Sources said that the police verified the information, and after finding the allegations to be true, they lodged the case.
A case has been registered against the woman, identified as Farhad Sultana, under relevant sections of the Citizenship Act and for cheating at the Baradari police station in Bareilly, said a police officer.
Station Officer Dhananjay Pandey of Baradari police station said that the investigation will also look into how the woman’s Aadhaar and ration cards were prepared, and who was involved in facilitating them.
He added that after registering the case on Saturday, the police took Sultana into custody and later released her on a personal bond.
During the preliminary inquiry, the police learned that Sultana, born in Karachi, arrived in India in 1965 at the age of eight with her mother and sister, Nusrat, on a long-term visa. While her mother and sister later returned to Pakistan, Sultana remained in Bareilly, living with her maternal uncle and continuing her education there.
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In 1985, she married Shahid Khaleel of Sufi Tola locality. The couple has six children – four daughters and two sons.
The long-term visa of Farhad is till July, said Pandey. He added that they are collecting more details of the case.