This is an unusual fake passport racket that the Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has uncovered, with investigators not ruling out national security ramifications. They are probing how at least 76 passports were allegedly obtained using addresses linked to six Buddhist monasteries across the state. The public interest lies in understanding how such documents could be issued, whether gaps in the verification process were exploited, and what the case reveals about safeguards designed to prevent the misuse of Indian passports.
While fake passport rackets are not new, using addresses of Buddhist monasteries to establish beneficiaries as local residents may be unprecedented in the country. This makes the alleged racket both intriguing and concerning.The investigation, however, has not established any link between the alleged racket and residents of the monasteries.
This explainer separates what is known from what remains unproven and examines the leads being pursued by investigators.
What exactly has the STF uncovered?
The Madhya Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force has uncovered an alleged network that helped people obtain Indian passports using forged or manipulated identity and address documents.
At least 76 passport applications have been linked to six monastery addresses in Bhopal, Dabra in Gwalior district, Amla in Betul, Chhindwara, Pandhurna and Jabalpur.
Investigators allege that applicants were first shown as Madhya Pradesh residents using fabricated or manipulated documents. They then used these documents to obtain passports.
How did the alleged racket operate?
According to investigators, the process involved several stages. Identity and address documents were allegedly created or manipulated to establish Indian identities. Monastery addresses supported claims of residence in Madhya Pradesh, and the documents were later submitted with passport applications.
The alleged kingpin is said to have charged between ₹12,000 and ₹15,000 per passport.
Where did the investigation begin?
The case came to light after the STF received intelligence about around 22 passport applications linked to a single address at a monastery in Semariya Tal, Dabra, in Gwalior district.
Investigators found that the same mobile number appeared in around 17 applications. Choudhury allegedly used the number.
The common address and repeated contact details prompted investigators to examine the monastery and its residents more closely. The probe eventually led them to Choudhury, who was staying at a monastery in Amla, Betul.
Who is the alleged kingpin?
Investigators arrested Reyal Choudhury, alias Bhante Metanand, at a monastery in Amla, Betul.
According to investigators, Choudhury is suspected to be from Bangladesh. He had settled in Assam around 10 years ago and moved to Madhya Pradesh in 2021. He subsequently stayed at monasteries in Betul, Dabra and Bhopal.
The STF alleges that he used his access to these monasteries to help other residents, particularly people from the Northeast, establish themselves as Indian residents of Madhya Pradesh. He allegedly arranged identity and address documents and facilitated passport applications in return for payments.
Investigators are also examining his reported foreign travel and financial transactions.
Who else has been arrested?
Biplab Adhikari: Originally from Assam and reportedly living at a monastery in Madhya Pradesh.
Priyan Roy: Originally from Assam and reportedly staying at a monastery in the state.
Joy Chaudhury: Another Assam native who reportedly lived at a monastery in Madhya Pradesh.
Naseem Akhtar: A Bhopal-based passport agent allegedly involved in facilitating applications.
Gaya Prasad Gautam: Allegedly acted as a witness during verification of multiple passport applications.
Dilip Rao Gautam: Resident of Gwalior district, he also acted as witness during the verification of multiple passport applications, despite not knowing any of them.
The STF is also searching for other people who allegedly acted as witnesses.
Where were the 76 passports linked to monastery addresses?
According to investigators, the cases are spread across six locations:
Bhopal: 39 passports
Dabra, Gwalior district: 17 passports
Amla, Betul: 11 passports
Chhindwara: One passport
Pandhurna: One passport
Jabalpur: The remaining cases
The STF is examining whether applicants obtained more passports using monastery addresses elsewhere in Madhya Pradesh or neighbouring states.
What role did the Buddhist monasteries allegedly play?
Investigators allege that monastery addresses were used to establish applicants' residential identities. These addresses then appeared on Aadhaar cards, voter identity cards, and other documents used in passport applications.
However, the investigation has not established that the monasteries themselves, as institutions, were involved in the alleged fraud. The alleged misuse of monastery addresses does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing by Buddhist institutions or the wider Buddhist community.
It remains unclear whether monastery authorities knew their addresses were allegedly being used for fraudulent documentation, whether some were deceived or whether individuals associated with the monasteries acted independently.
When were the passports allegedly obtained?
The passports under scrutiny were largely issued between 2022 and 2024.
The STF has reportedly found that a significant number were issued during the Covid-19 period. Investigators are examining whether pandemic-era restrictions and reduced physical interaction affected verification procedures.
The racket appears to have operated for several years before the STF detected it.
Were the same witnesses used repeatedly?
Yes. According to STF sources, three individuals — Gaya Prasad Gautam, Gulab Rai and Reyal Choudhury — appeared as witnesses in more than 50 of the 76 passport cases.
Their mobile numbers also reportedly appeared repeatedly in the applications.
What documents were allegedly forged or manipulated?
The investigation has identified several categories of documents allegedly used to establish identity and residence:
Aadhaar cards
Voter identity cards
Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards
Residence certificates
Driving licences
Class 10 marksheets
Birth certificates
In Bhopal, investigators reportedly identified five suspected forged birth certificates purportedly issued by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation.
The certificates allegedly contained Quick Response (QR) codes and barcodes that investigators could not verify. Investigators also questioned signatures attributed to a government official.
Did passport holders travel abroad?
Investigators have examined travel and mobile-phone records and found evidence that some passport holders travelled abroad.
Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and China have reportedly figured in the investigation. These include Southeast Asian countries with Buddhist-majority populations or significant Buddhist influence.
The STF is examining the purpose and circumstances of the journeys. So far, no major criminal intent has been established, according to information available in the investigation. The STF has also reportedly said it has not found evidence of a terror connection.
How many suspected beneficiaries are still unaccounted for?
The STF is searching for more than 70 other suspected beneficiaries whose whereabouts are currently unknown.
Investigators are trying to establish how many remain in India, how many travelled abroad and whether some went to Southeast Asian countries. Investigators are also examining the purpose of their journeys.
Was money changing hands?
Investigators are following a financial trail involving more than 10 bank accounts.
Investigators are examining one account allegedly linked to the network, opened in the name of a Buddhist monk, as a possible mule account. A mule account is one used to receive or transfer money on behalf of others.
Has the role of government officials been established?
No. The investigation into possible official involvement is still underway.
The repeated use of the same addresses, witnesses and supporting documents has raised questions about how the applications passed identity, address and police verification.
The STF is examining the possible role of police personnel involved in verification, revenue department officials and employees, local panchayat personnel, Passport Seva Kendra personnel and others involved in issuing or verifying identity and residence documents.
STF Superintendent of Police Sunita Rawat said, “So far we’ve arrested 7 persons and investigations are at an advanced stage.”
Did the racket extend beyond MP?
The investigation has expanded to Assam, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and Gujarat. The STF is checking whether additional passports were obtained using monastery addresses elsewhere and whether the same document suppliers, witnesses or agents were involved in other applications.
Is this the first fake passport racket busted in the state?
No. The current investigation follows another alleged interstate fake passport racket the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) busted in August 2025.
In that case, Jabalpur was the main centre of the investigation. An Afghan national, Sohbat Khan, was arrested over allegations that he obtained an Indian passport using forged documents and helped other Afghan nationals establish false Indian identities.
Two other Afghan nationals living in West Bengal were also arrested. Other arrests included a Jabalpur-based forest department guard and a man who had passed Class 10 and allegedly posed as an advocate. Investigators also arrested Afghan nationals Akbar and Iqbal in connection with the investigation.
alleged that the accused used forged birth certificates, residential documents, and Aadhaar-related records. The 2025 case reportedly had links extending beyond Madhya Pradesh to West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
What does the investigation reveal about the alleged process?
The state police is also examining information about a potentially larger number of people who may have obtained passports using similar methods in other parts of Madhya Pradesh, including western districts bordering Gujarat.
What are the potential national security implications of the alleged racket?
The investigation raises concerns about whether forged or fraudulent local documents were used to obtain Indian passports for alleged foreign nationals. If established, this could allow individuals who are not entitled to Indian passports to acquire genuine travel documents, potentially enabling international travel under an Indian identity and complicating immigration and identity-verification checks. Investigators are also examining money trails to determine the extent of the alleged racket’s financing, including whether there was any external funding.