ATS uncovers Aadhaar fraud via biometrics tampering, 1 held

JAIPUR: A joint operation by Rajasthan ATS and Hanumangarh police Friday exposed a sophisticated illegal Aadhaar enrolment centre in Bhadra area that was generating identity documents using forged biometric data, in a case officials say has serious implications for national security.

The accused has been identified as Kuldeep Sharma, who was arrested on the spot for fraudulently creating Aadhaar cards using the operator IDs of two individuals, Jaswant and Aamir Khan.

SP (ATS) Gyan Chand Yadav said the breakthrough came after the ATS personnel received credible inputs that fraudulent Aadhaar enrolments were being carried out at the location and that such documents were being used in illegal activities.

During the raid, investigators uncovered a methodically organised setup designed to defeat biometric safeguards. The accused was found using dummy fingerprints crafted from red and white rubber to gain unauthorised access to the Aadhaar enrolment system.

Police also recovered paper-based replicas of retina images, which were allegedly placed in front of iris scanners to bypass verification protocols.

Further examination revealed that the accused was forging signatures on enrolment receipts in the names of the legitimate operators, indicating a systematic attempt to conceal the fraud and sustain operations over time. Officials said hundreds of enrolment receipts were recovered from the site, pointing to the scale of the racket.

The recovery from the premises included a laptop, printer, iris scanning device, palm fingerprint scanner, GPS unit, camera, mobile phone and materials used to fabricate biometric inputs, including fingerprint dye and rubber moulds. Investigators believe the equipment was being used to produce Aadhaar cards in bulk using stolen or misused credentials.

Officials warned that Aadhaar documents generated through such fraudulent means pose a grave threat, as they can be used to obtain SIM cards, open bank accounts and facilitate financial fraud or other organised criminal activities. The possibility of such identities being used in activities prejudicial to national security is also under investigation.

The accused is currently being interrogated by a joint team of ATS and district police to identify individuals who obtained Aadhaar cards through this illegal channel. Investigators are also probing whether the racket has links to a wider interstate network or organised cybercrime syndicates.

Forensic analysis of the seized laptop and mobile phone is underway to retrieve data on past transactions, enrolments and possible collaborators. Officials said the findings so far suggest a well-planned operation with the potential to impact multiple states.Get real-time updates and result insights on the CBSE 12 Result 2026.