THANE: Police in Maharashtra’s Thane district have launched a probe into alleged misuse of identity documents for financial transactions worth Rs 35 crore, police said on Thursday.

Over the past one and a half years, accused Salma Sayyed and her associates collected Aadhaar, PAN, photographs and other identity documents of job aspirants by promising them well-paid employment opportunities, an official said.

“These documents were later misused by forging signatures and creating firms and bank accounts without the knowledge of the victims,” he said.

A company named ‘Jaljyoti Enterprises’ was fraudulently registered in one man’s name without his knowledge, and current accounts were opened. Financial transactions worth about Rs 35 crore were carried out through these bank accounts, he said.

The 27-year-old resident of the Ambernath area approached the police after learning about the misuse of his identity documents.

Similar companies were opened in the names of other victims as well, resulting in massive financial transactions, the official said.

“The probe is underway to ascertain the full scope of the fraud and identify all those involved,” he added.