Meerut: On February 14, police in Meerut registered a case against a mother and daughter accused of living in India for nearly three decades despite being Pakistani nationals. The complaint was filed by a social worker, Rukhsana, who alleged that the duo fraudulently obtained Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards, and passports, while retaining Pakistani citizenship.
Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey told the media that authorities received information about a man named Farhat Masood residing in the Delhi Gate area. According to reports, he had travelled to Pakistan, where he married a woman named Saba, and the couple had a daughter there. Both Saba and her daughter are Pakistani nationals, police said.
The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) said a preliminary inquiry confirmed that the accused were residing in India without valid citizenship. After an earlier probe conducted by the Superintendent of Police (City) found substance in the allegations, a formal FIR was registered. Further legal proceedings are now underway, and a detailed investigation has been ordered.
FIR invokes BNS sections for cheating and forgery
According to the FIR, the main accused have been identified as Saba Masood alias Naji alias Najia and her daughter, Aiman Farhat. The case has been registered under Sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2), 351(2), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertain to charges including cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, and criminal intimidation.
The complainant alleged that Saba married Farhat Masood in Pakistan and that their daughter, Aiman, was born there on May 25, 1993. She further claimed that when Saba returned to India, Aiman entered the country on Saba’s Pakistani passport, with her name and date of birth duly endorsed on the travel document.
Rukhsana also stated that despite being Pakistani nationals, the mother and daughter continued to reside in Meerut without obtaining Indian citizenship through the prescribed legal process. According to the complaint, Aiman completed her education locally while retaining Pakistani citizenship, and no valid application for Indian citizenship was ever finalised.
Security concerns and allegations of threats
The complainant further alleged that forged and fabricated documents were used to secure an Indian passport for Aiman. She claimed that Saba obtained two separate voter ID cards under different names, Saba Masood and Najia Masood, and argued that these actions amounted to deliberate concealment of identity and cheating of Indian authorities.
In her complaint, Rukhsana also raised security concerns. She alleged that the mother and daughter travelled multiple times to Pakistan and other countries using forged passports and documents. She further claimed that Saba’s father, Hanif Ahmed, was a Pakistani national allegedly linked to the ISI, making the matter sensitive from a national security standpoint. The complaint also stated that the accused frequently visited the Army headquarters and government offices in Delhi while concealing their true identities.
Additionally, the FIR records that the complainant alleged she was threatened and intimidated when she previously raised objections. She claimed that the accused cited political influence and connections within the police administration during those interactions.
