Muslim man held in Surat for using fake Aadhaar card with Hindu name

Surat, July 16 (IANS) A 27-year-old Muslim man selling garments in a market in Surat has been arrested for reportedly using a counterfeit Aadhaar card under a Hindu identity, according to local authorities.

The complaint was lodged by a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) member, Narendra Chaudhary, raising concerns about identity fraud and misrepresentation.

The Avadh market, where the accused operated his business, is predominantly inhabited by Hindu residents, which further emphasises the significance of this case.

The accused, who had been residing in Surat for nine years, ran a women's garment shop called Ruhi Fashion in the Avadh market. During this time, he used the name Ozair Alam for official documents, but it is alleged that he fabricated an Aadhaar card with the name Arjunsingh Bhanvarsingh. Locals in the area referred to him as 'Arjun' due to difficulties in pronouncing his actual name, which may have influenced his decision to adopt a different identity. 

During the investigation, the accused, who broke down while being taken to the police station, revealed his true identity as Ozair Alam, originally from the West Champaran district in Bihar. It was discovered that the fake Aadhaar card falsely indicated his residency as Rajasthan.

Using a computer at his shop, he reportedly created the forged Aadhaar card. Authorities are currently investigating whether he utilised the counterfeit document for any other purposes and have seized his mobile phone to gather more evidence.

The complaint was filed on Saturday and now, matter is still under investigation.