Kurnool: 30 held for tampering with Aadhaar card data
Superintendent of Police Dr Fakkeerappa Kaginelli addressing media conference at Ved Vyas Auditorium in Kurnool on Wednesday. Trainee IPS officer Kommi Pratap Shiva Kishore is also seen
Kurnool: The police across the district on Wednesday arrested 30 persons on the charges of tampering with Aadhaar card data. Presenting the accused before media at Ved Vyas Auditorium here on Wednesday, Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr Fakkeerappa Kaginelli said around 14 persons involved in tampering in Aadhaar card data were caught by the Pathikonda police. Of the 14 persons, 8 have been arrested in a similar case earlier. All of them belong to Kosigi, Kowthalam, Adoni, Pathikonda and Pedda Thambulam. He added two from Nandavaram, eight from Adoni and six from Banaganapalli circle and altogether 30 persons were arrested.
Apart from arresting 30 persons, the SP said computers, laptops, mobile phones, finger print scanners, irish scanners, web cameras, printers and permission letter of Aadhaar centre was seized from their possession. The SP stated the accused were charging Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000 for changing data in each card and are collecting the amount through agents. Each agent, in a day, is easily making corrections in 100 applications, he said and so far around 200 applications have been detected at 10 secretraits. As the government laid some criteria and age limit to avail benefits of welfare schemes like, Jagananna Cheyutha, Asara, YSR Pensions and Nethanna Nestam, those who crossed the age limit, are approaching these agents to avail the benefits of the schemes. Stating that the investigation is at the primary stage, the SP added probe would be launched in all aspects to collect all details in this regard.
The accused were also making fake Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards by editing the data with the help of photoshop and paint brush tools, he pointed out. Based on the PAN card, they are also tampering date on Aadhaar cards, he said.
Cases under relevant sections were filed at the concerned police stations and all would be sent to remand, said Dr Fakkeerappa Kaginelli. Trainee IPS Officer Kommi Pratap Shiva Kishore, CIs Suresh Babu, P Sriramulu, Maheshwar Reddy and SIs were present.