Police verification for passport at Rs 500 only

It takes only Rs 500 to get a police verification from Limkheda police station for a passport! On Wednesday, Assistant Sub-Inspector Deva Baria asked a group of 15 masons, who have job offers from Kuwait to work on a construction project, for Rs 500 per person for a positive verification.

The policeman asked each of the masons to either pay the money or run the risk of getting a red mark on their passport applications. Baria said the masons had asked him to finish off the work urgently. “This is not the way you come for police verification. It takes time, that’s why I asked them to stay out my work,” said Baria, denying the allegations levelled by one of the workers named Naresh Baria. Naresh said that it was after the police had called him and 14 others that they were asked a sum of Rs 500. “The others have paid; but three of us refused so our applications were not processed,” said Naresh.

Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector M M Bhoi expressed ignorance about whatever was happening in the police station, as he was in Jhalod for some official work. “I am not aware of it; but if it is true, then proper action will be taken,” said Bhoi.

Earlier, on Wednesday morning, Naresh and three others were chased out of the police station when they said they wanted to register a police complaint.