Hyderabad police have arrested a 36-year-old man in Pahadishareef for allegedly altering Aadhaar and PAN card details for money, seizing 60 fake or modified Aadhaar cards and equipment used to produce the documents.
The arrest was carried out by the Shamshabad Task Force in coordination with local police following a tip-off. The suspect was identified as Ch. Mahadev, a resident of Sriram Colony in Jalpally who runs a photocopy shop in Budvel. Police said he operated the alleged document-forgery business from his residence.
According to the police, Mahadev had installed software that allowed him to modify names, photographs, dates of birth and addresses on Aadhaar and PAN cards. He allegedly charged Rs 300 for changing the date of birth on an Aadhaar card, while altering all the details cost between Rs 700 and Rs 1,000.
Police said Mahadev, who studied up to Class VII, turned to the activity after finding that his earnings were insufficient to support his family. The seized material included 60 fake or altered Aadhaar cards, two PAN cards, Rs 5,000 in cash, a laptop, a printer, a lamination machine and a mobile phone.
Officials suspect that some customers may have used the forged documents to obtain private-sector jobs in factories around Hyderabad, secure mobile phone SIM cards and access government welfare schemes. The police account indicates that the alleged operation was not limited to producing counterfeit cards but involved changing identity information used across employment, telecommunications and public-benefit systems.
Aadhaar and PAN details are used by institutions to establish identity and complete transactions, making the alleged alteration of personal information a direct challenge to verification processes. The case also highlights the role that photocopy and document-service businesses can play in the circulation of altered records when digital editing and printing equipment are misused.
The police action followed the seizure of the alleged forged documents and production equipment from Mahadev. The authorities have not disclosed in the supplied report whether further arrests have been made or how many of the seized documents were used by customers. The investigation will determine the extent of the alleged network and the purposes for which the altered documents were obtained.
