The incident occurred near the bus stand area on Monday, when the accused checked into Hotel Raj along with a woman. According to police, the man introduced himself as Chetan Prakash and provided an Aadhaar card bearing that name during check-in. The couple paid an advance and left the hotel shortly afterward.
Suspicion arose later in the day when hotel operator Ashok Maru was verifying a UPI transaction of Rs 600. The payment, credited to the hotel’s account, was registered under the name Ashraf Khan, which did not match the Aadhaar details or the hotel register entry. The mismatch prompted the hotel staff to question the identity provided earlier.
When the couple returned to the hotel at night, the hotel owner confronted the man about the discrepancy. During questioning, another Aadhaar card was recovered from his possession. Police said both Aadhaar cards carried the same photograph but different names and addresses, confirming the use of a false identity to obtain accommodation.
The hotel management informed Kotwali police, who reached the spot and took both individuals to the police station for verification. After questioning, the accused was identified as Ashraf Khan, a resident of Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan.
Kotwali police registered a case against him under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with other applicable provisions related to identity fraud. Station in-charge Pushpendra Singh Rathore said the accused was formally arrested and the matter is under investigation. “Both families have been informed, and the authenticity of the seized documents is being verified,” he said.
During preliminary investigation, police found that the accused and the woman had travelled to Mandsaur to appear for a laboratory technician examination conducted at Shreeji College. Both are reportedly employed as nursing staff at a hospital in Jodhpur, while the woman is said to be a resident of Nagaur district in Rajasthan.
Police indicated that the accused may have used a different name and identity to avoid potential complications while staying at a hotel with the woman. Investigators are now examining how the second Aadhaar card was obtained and whether a larger forgery network is involved.
Further legal action will depend on the outcome of the document verification and ongoing investigation, police said.
