Mumbai's SGNP to switch to online-only ticketing in two months after fake entry ticket racket

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is a protected forest area under the direct control of the Maharashtra Forest Department. File pic/Nimesh Dave

Visitors to Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) were allegedly sold counterfeit entry tickets at prices higher than the prescribed rates, resulting in financial loss to the government. The Kasturba Marg police have arrested one person, identified as Akash Ravindra Sardar, 31, in connection with the case and are searching for the alleged main accused, Ganesh Ishwar Thakur, whom the cops believe possesses special machinery and software used to manufacture the fake tickets.

Scam comes to light

According to the police, on October 6, a tourist approached Shivraj Ugle, 31, a forest guard on duty at SGNP, and complained that a person had sold him a torn entry ticket.

SGNP, which is a protected forest area under the direct control of the Maharashtra Forest Department Park. File pic/Nimesh Dave

Smelling a rat, Ugle approached the park's ticket counter and made inquiries. Officials found that the ticket in question had not been issued from the authorised counter. Sardar was then spotted in the queue of visitors behaving suspiciously. The forest department subsequently examined nine tickets found in the youth's possession. The paper quality, printing, and fonts on his tickets did not match those of tickets issued through the official counter. Following the discovery, forest department officials handed Sardar over to the Kasturba Marg police, who registered a case against him.

SGNP, which spans an area of 103.84 sq km, is a protected forest area under the direct control of the Maharashtra Forest Department, and the cops are also trying to ascertain the total amount of revenue allegedly lost by the state government through the sale of the fake tickets.

PoliceSpeak

A police officer said, "During questioning, Sardar initially gave evasive answers. However, during further investigation, he allegedly revealed that Thakur had prepared the counterfeit tickets and supplied them to him for sale."

The action was carried out by Senior Police Inspector Balasaheb Bankar, Inspector Yogesh Pawar, Assistant Inspector Sambhaji Thorat of the Crime Detection Team, Sub-Inspector Sainath Bargaje, and police personnel Mujawar, Mhatre, Puri, Farde, Vadar, Sangle, and Shingte.