Fake passport racket: Police arrest kingpin from North 24 Parganas
Kolkata (PTI): Police arrested the kingpin of the fake passport racket from West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, an officer said on Sunday.
Acting on the inputs of those arrested earlier in connection with the same case, Kolkata Police nabbed the accused identified as Manoj Gupta late Saturday night from a house in Chadapara station road under Gaighata police station limits, the officer said.
Gupta is a resident of Silpara area of Behala and was running a travel agency in Sakherbazar, he said.
"This guy has been the brain behind the fake passport racket. Behind his travel agency, he was running the fake passport racket. It is believed that the man was also involved in issuing visas," the police officer told PTI.
Earlier this month, Kolkata Police arrested a contractual employee of the postal department from Parnasree area of Behala.
Before that, police arrested two persons from the North and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.
They seized several fake documents, hard disk drives, a computer, and one laptop, which were used to manufacture the fake passports.
Police had recovered several fake documents during a raid at a house in the southern part of the city's Haridevpur area.
The racket has been manufacturing fake passports, mostly to help Bangladeshis get illegal identities to stay here and roam around the globe.
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Parliament passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025
New Delhi (PTI): Parliament early Friday passed the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after it was approved by the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had on Thursday approved the Bill after over a 12-hour debate.
In Rajya Sabha, the Bill got 128 votes in its favour and 95 against after all the amendments moved by the opposition were rejected.
In the lower house, the bill was supported by 288 MPs while 232 voted against it.
Participating in a debate in the Rajya Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Bill was brought with a number of amendments based on suggestions given by various stakeholders.
"The Waqf Board is a statutory body. All government bodies should be secular," the minister said, explaining the inclusion of non-Muslims on the board.
He, however, said the number of non-Muslims has been restricted to only four out of 22.
Rijiju also alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties, and not the BJP, were trying to scare Muslims with the Waqf Bill.
"You (opposition) are pushing Muslims out of the mainstream," he added.
He said for 60 years, the Congress and others ruled the country, but did not do much for Muslims and the community continues to live in poverty.
"Muslims are poor, who is responsible? You (Congress) are. Modi is now leading the government to uplift them," the minister said.
According to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Waqf tribunals will be strengthened, a structured selection process will be maintained, and a tenure will be fixed to ensure efficient dispute resolution.
As per the Bill, while Waqf institutions' mandatory contribution to Waqf boards is reduced from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, Waqf institutions earning over Rs 1 lakh will undergo audits by state-sponsored auditors.
A centralised portal will automate Waqf property management, improving efficiency and transparency.
The Bill proposes that practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to the Waqf, restoring pre-2013 rules.
It stipulates that women must receive their inheritance before the Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans.
The Bill proposes that an officer above the rank of collector investigate government properties claimed as Waqf.
It also proposes that non-Muslim members be included in the central and state Waqf boards for inclusivity.
