Barke Police Arrest Fake WHO Director and Driver
Mangaluru: “On August 17, we received information that two suspects were in the city. Based on the information we issued a lookout notice and two persons were arrested in the Barke police station limits. During interrogation, it was revealed that one was Basit Shah claiming to be the director of WHO and his driver Baljender Singh. When we enquired about him we realized that he was not the director of WHO”, said the police commissioner Dr Harsha in a press meet held at the commissioner’s office here on August 24.
The arrested have been identified as Basit Shah alias Shaukat Ahamed Lone (28) from Ganjipora village in Ganderbal district, Kashmir and Baljender Singh (48) from Punjab.
Addressing the mediapersons Dr Harsha said, “We received information that on August 17, a chocolate colour car bearing registration number PB 65 AS 6786 with World Health Organization director nameplate was moving around in the city. We immediately issued a circular to stop the car. Based on the intimation the Barke police head constable Yogaraj who was on duty at Ballalbagh stopped the car at 5 pm. When HC Yogaraj enquired, the driver said that he was Baljinder Singh from Punjab and driver of Dr Basit Shah from Andheri East, Mumbai. When the HC questioned the occupant in the car, he said that he was Dr Basit Shah the director of WHO. HC Yogaraj took both of them into custody and took them to the Batke police station.”
Dr Harsha further said, “During investigations, police found the documents in the car which revealed that Dr Basit Shah was Basit. He had also printed his ID card as Dr Basit MBBS/MS/MCH – Gold medalist, director, World Health Organization. The vehicle carried the registration number MCI/2013/3184. When the police interrogation, Basit revealed that he had studied up to PUC and had created all the fake certificates including the MBBS certificate as well as WHO director card. He also revealed that his name was Shaukat Ahamed Lone from Vakura District in Kashmir. When Baljinder Singh was questioned, he said that he has been working for Shaukat from the past 2 years for Rs 20000 salary. Baljinder Singh was using his own car for Dr Basit Shah and taking him around the country. Dr Basit was taking care of all the expenses of Baljindar’s car.”
In Jammu and Kashmir, the accused Basit Shah alias Shaukat Ahamed Lone has been booked for various crimes under section 420, 406 and 419 IPC. He was absconding since 2017 and involved in cheating people. It is also learnt that the accused Basit Shah alias Shaukat Ahamed Lone has also registered his name in Matrimonial sites and was exploiting girls in Goa, Belagavi, Mumbai, Jharkhand, Jaipur, Kolkatta, Chattishghad, Amritsar and Hyderabad. Through the matrimonial site, he had come in contact with a woman in Mangaluru. He was arrested when he came to meet her in Mangaluru.
The Barke police have registered a case under section 170, 171, 419, 420 and 34 IPC and 7 the state emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act. The police are investigating the involvement of other persons in this case.