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HYDERABAD: A day after an international human trafficking racket was busted and 20 people, including eight sheikhs, were arrested, Hyderabad police said they have unearthed a well-networked gang fabricating fake Aadhaar and birth certificates . The gang members create fake documents to pass off minors as those of marriageable age.

To prevent sheikhs marrying minor girls from the city, police have sent several suggestions to the minority welfare department and requested them to make guidelines stricter for foreign nationals marrying locals.

“Online facility to correct details in Aadhaar was launched to help citizens correct mistakes, but the facility is being misused by brokers to get fake ID proofs,“ assistant commissioner of police ( ACP ), Falaknuma , Md Tajuddin Ahmed told TOI.

“Once they get the updated Aadhaar, they manage all other documents like birth certificate, resident certificate etc,“ he added.

“Officials should be more careful while issuing Aadhaar and birth certificates. Due to lack of strict verification procedures, brokers manage to get fake identity proofs easily,“ another official said.

On Thursday, all the 20 arrested were produced in court and shifted to Chanchalguda prison.

Police have also sent a set of recommendations to the minority welfare department to make norms stricter. They suggested that foreign nationals should submit No Objection Certificate from the country of his origin and apply to police a month before the scheduled marriage along with details of the bride.

The minority welfare department has already drafted an ordinance on a few recommendations and suggestions given by police.

“We have recommended that if a foreign national wants to marry a Hyderabadi girl , he should get an NOC . Also in his visa, he should specify that he wants to visit Hyderabad for `marriage purpose'.Apart from that, the age difference should not be over 10 years,“ Syed Omer Jaleel, special secretary , minorities welfare department, said.

