LUCKNOW, Sept. 28 -- The custody of two key accused in the fake Aadhaar card racket could lead to crucial revelations about the network and its beneficiaries, Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials said on Saturday. A special court in Lucknow on Friday granted the ATS a seven-day police custody remand of Salman Ansari and Talib Ansari, allowing investigators to interrogate them further and gather evidence, they added. Notably, the ATS investigation revealed that the fraudulent Aadhaar cards were not only used for identification but also to obtain passports, according to officials. The accused were arrested on August 21, 2025, for their alleged involvement in creating fake Aadhaar cards for Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals, among others. The ATS has revealed that the accused were charging between Rs.2,500 to Rs.3,000 per fake Aadhaar card and were using the same to create fake passports and claim benefits of government schemes. UP's additional director general (ADG), law & order, Amitabh Yash confirmed that the custody remand of the two accused started from Saturday morning and would continue till 6 am on October 3. "During the custody period, the ATS will question the accused based on data recovered from their laptops and mobile phones, while their suspicious bank transactions will also be examined. The ATS will also probe the Jan Seva Kendras used by the accused to create fake Aadhaar cards and identify the operators involved," a senior official said. He said the gang, operating through registered Jan Seva Kendras, was using VPNs or remote access to create fake Aadhaar cards for ineligible individuals. He added these fake documents were being used to obtain passports and other benefits. The ATS registered a case against the gang on August 19, 2025, and has so far arrested eight accused, seizing electronic devices, fingerprint scanners, laptops, mobile phones and fake documents. The official further stated that the gang used both electronic and manual methods to tamper with Aadhaar data and bypass security protocols....