Conductor seizes fake bus pass, unearths racket

A BMTC bus conductor unearthed a fake bus pass scam when he recently caught a college student using a forged pass, and saved his company from suffering big losses.

Based on his complaint, the police arrested the owner of a digital studio who made fake passes and sold them for Rs 250. Ravuthappa (40), a conductor attached with the Uttarahalli BMTC depot number 33, told DH that the pass did not seem right. “It certainly seemed different,” he said. “I took it from the student and said it was fake.”

As the student continued to argue, Ravuthappa took the passes of the other students and made a comparison.

“I confirmed that the pass was fake. I took his college ID card and asked him to offer his explanation at the police station. The student then confessed that the pass was fake and he got it from a digital shop in Nagarabhavi. When the bus doors opened for the other passengers to get down, the student fled, leaving his ID card and fake pass with me,” the conductor said.

Ravuthappa handed the documents to the vigilance team. The student was traced with the ID card. He confirmed that a friend had introduced him to the digital shop. When his friend and fellow student was caught, he led the authorities to MR Digital Studio and Cyber Café at the BDA complex in Nagarabhavi.

An investigating officer said the police have arrested the owner of the digital shop, identified as 29-year-old Madhu from Channapatna. Madhu confessed to have taken the colour Xerox of an original bus pass from a student and printed it on smart cards. He admitted to have issued hundreds of passes on the same number and made money illegally.

Madhu has been remanded to judicial custody and lodged in the Parappana Agrahara prison. BMTC officials did not disclose the precise amount, but have acknowledged that the fake pass racket had cost them dear.

Authorities have let off users of the fake bus passes with a warning on humanitarian grounds.