Fake papers factory
The racket came to light after the Vav-Tharad local crime branch conducted an operation on the computer centre on Oct 12. Police seized five CPUs, a monitor, a colour printer, 110 blank cards, and five mobile phones. The seized material was valued at Rs 1.2 lakh. The operators allegedly charged between Rs 200 and Rs 1,000 for each RC book. The certificates purportedly carried the name of St John Ambulance India, Veraval, and showed training conducted in Jan 2024, although the candidates had paid for the certificates in 2026.
Police recorded statements of eight candidates who said they had neither attended the training mentioned on the certificates nor taken examinations in Veraval. Police identified five vehicle owners who had obtained such documents. Under the rules, new or duplicate RC books can be issued only by a Regional Transport Office. The second racket targeted candidates applying for state transport bus conductor posts. The recruitment advertisement required applicants to submit a certificate attesting to the completion of a first-aid course. The local crime branch had received information about the racket through four anonymous complaints submitted between June and July. Police subsequently examined the documents and recorded statements of people who had obtained them.
Police are also examining whether people associated with the institution helped issue the certificates and receipts bearing earlier dates. Police found the four minors working at the centre, according to the complaint filed with Lakhni police on Sunday.