Union Home Minster’s request to city police ignored

Mumbai: An NGO, the All India Labour Welfare Seva Sangh (AILWSS), has been allegedly misusing the national emblem by issuing fake identity cards to citizens, giving them coveted designations like ‘officers’ from the Crime Investigation Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation.

No steps have been taken to ban the organisation even after an inquiry was forwarded to the Ghatkopar crime branch with the intervention of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in July. Nearly 900 identity cards were issued by the NGO this year. The cards are issued without any proof of Aadhar card, PAN card or any document verification, which is a breach of national security.

As per its website and seal, the NGO claims to work for the ‘upliftment of the tribals and adivasis’ and claims to be ‘affiliated to the Central Government.’ It has been registered under the Government of India, New Delhi, the seal states. The organisation charges Rs 5,000 for each ID card, which has the person’s full name and a photograph.

Established in 1986, AILWSS has offices at Kandivali, Borivali, Mulund, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Ghansoli (Thane), Mira Road and Kalyan.

Mohan Krishnan, President of National Anti-Corruption and Crime Preventive Council, conducted a sting operation in May last year and learnt that Chhota Shakeel, the right-hand man of terrorist Dawood Ibrahim (in pic), Tiger Memon, the mastermind of 1993 serial blasts and gangster Hemant Pujari were passed off as ‘CID officers’ and ‘CBI officers’ by this organisation.

Krishnan acted as a whistleblower when he went there to get his own identity card. “Mohsin Noormohammed Sheikh, a member of the Shakeel gang, has been issued an identity card in which he has been given the designation of the Investigating Officer of CID,” Krishnan told the Free Press Journal.

Shakeel has been shown as a resident of Dindoshi, Malad. During the sting, Krishnan got Manish Chaudhury,

the Chairman of AILWSS’ West Bengal unit, to issue him an ID card with the designation of Chief Enquiry Officer (State and Minority Cell).

“This endangers the national security of the country. A terrorist can become a member of this NGO and misuse these cards. This is what I learnt and have recorded.”

Krishnan added that an advocate based in Thane has procured 26 such fake identity cards and was thrilled with the idea of getting free entry at toll nakas. There has been a rise in the number of identity cards being issued every year. A First Information Report was registered against the NGO at Dindoshi police station in May 2015 under Section 419, Section 420, Section 463, Section 467, Section 468, Section 471 and Section 474 of the Indian Penal Code.