Crime branch probes major security breach at international airport

Unit-8 of crime branch-headed by Deepak Phatangre has begun investigations into a security breach at the airport, by Nagpada-based Kaiser Fatima Inayat.

The 45 year-old woman had forged a fake identity card (ID) of deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Aswati Dorje, and would use it to move freely within airport premises.

Haj pilgrims at the international airport. Pic used for representation only

She would extort money from pilgrims on their way to Haj. One of her accomplices was Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Head Constable Vijay Mahadev Kamble.

The airport police arrested Inayat a fortnight ago from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport with the ID in her possession, along with Kamble, who was deputed at the airport since a year and helped her forge the ID. They have been arrested on charges of forgery and impersonation.

In a raid at her residence, officials seized a VIP entry pass to Mantralaya, a membership card of the Maharashtra Council of Indian Medicine (MCIM), the ID card of a cook at the domestic airport and a security pass of the Bureau of Civil Aviation. At present, Inayat is lodged at Byculla jail.

Inayat is a resident of Haji Kasam Chawl, Nagpada. She is known as a social worker in the area. For the past five years, the Haj Committee in Mumbai has been appointing her as a volunteer for helping pilgrims flying to Haj.

After receiving several complaints from the pilgrims about her extortion tactics, the committee decided to not appoint her this year, which is when she decided to forge the cop's ID card to enter the airport.

Dorje, now posted at Foreigner and Regional Registration Office (FRRO) did not respond to our calls.

"The matter has just been transferred to the crime branch and we have begun investigations," said Niket Kaushik, additional commissioner of police, crime branch.u00a0