CBI raids over 50 locations in West Bengal and Sikkim in fake passport scandal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided more than 50 locations in West Bengal and Sikkim on Saturday, including Kolkata, Siliguri, Darjeeling, and Gangtok, in connection with the fake passport scandal.

Gautam Kumar Saha, a senior superintendent at the Gangtok Passport Seva Kendra, and a hotel agent with Rs 1,90,000 in his hands were detained by the criminal investigation agency for fraudulently providing passports with forged and phoney documentation for intermediaries.

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Officials also filed a case against 24 individuals.

The FIR identifies 24 people, including 16 officials, who are accused of providing passports based on fraudulent documents to ineligible people, including non-residents, in exchange for bribery.

They stated the searches are taking place in Kolkata, Siliguri, Gangtok, and other cities.

These operations were part of the agency's aggressive attempt to unravel and demolish a complex phoney passport scheme that had raised major questions about the integrity of the passport issue process.