The Alert News // Kishtwar: Alleged Tampering of Key Identity Documents Raises Serious Security Alarm in Kishtwar
Kishtwar:
Serious concerns have surfaced in Kishtwar over the alleged involvement of certain computer operators and internet café owners in tampering with crucial identity documents, posing a major threat to administrative integrity and internal security.
According to reports, some operators are allegedly manipulating sensitive documents such as Aadhaar cards, driving licences and other official records. These forged or altered documents are reportedly being used to mislead various government departments to unlawfully avail benefits under welfare schemes, secure jobs, or obtain positions for which the individuals concerned are otherwise ineligible.
Local residents have expressed grave concern over the issue, terming it not merely an act of fraud but a serious criminal offence with far-reaching consequences. People have urged the civil administration, especially Kishtwar Police, to launch a thorough investigation to identify those involved and take strict legal action against them.
The matter assumes added significance in view of last year’s alarming incident, when three fake Aadhaar cards were recovered from a terrorist hideout busted in the Chatroo sub-division of Kishtwar district. The recovery had then highlighted the potential misuse of forged identity documents by anti-national elements to conceal their identities and move undetected.
Security agencies have intensified checking and established multiple checkpoints across Kishtwar to verify the credentials of travellers and locals. However, residents fear that such security measures could be rendered ineffective if identity documents themselves are manipulated at the source.
Experts and locals alike warn that in such a scenario, anti-social and anti-national elements could easily bypass security checks using forged or tampered documents, thereby posing a direct threat to peace, public safety and law and order.
The issue is being viewed with heightened concern, particularly in the run-up to the Republic Day celebrations, a period marked by increased security sensitivity. Citizens have appealed to the authorities to take immediate and stringent action against those involved in document tampering, strengthen monitoring of internet cafés and computer centres, and ensure strict verification mechanisms to prevent misuse of identity documents.
People have stressed that safeguarding the authenticity of official records is crucial not only for effective governance but also for maintaining security, peace and public trust in the system.
