A man from West Bengal was arrested on Thursday on charges of cheating and forgery for staying in Surat with a fake identity, said police.

Officials said the man, Musibul Shaikh (26), told police that he had got a fake Aadhaar card made since he was unable to find an accommodation in a “posh” locality, where he wanted to stay with his girlfriend, due to his religion.

Shaikh belongs to Bardhaman district in West Bengal and had moved from Mumbai, where he was living with his family, to Surat a couple of years ago. He was working at a spa in Surat.

Acting on a tip-off, Surat Special Operations group officials raided his rented house in an apartment complex at Canal Road in Jahangirpura area.

Police said Shaikh had assumed the identity of “Pradeep” and had got a fake Aadhaar card made to reflect the same. On questioning, Shaikh confessed to have carried out the forgery, police said. Officials seized Shaikh’s PAN card and a copy of his driving licence before handing him over to Rander police station.