Mumbai: The Mumbai Police have established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to thoroughly investigate a large-scale racket involving the procurement of fake birth certificates. This action follows the discovery of over 87,000 allegedly bogus birth and death records that were manipulated through official channels.
The SIT was formed following numerous complaints of fraudulent registrations, with the Mumbai Crime Branch initiating the probe. The establishment of the team was ordered by the Police Commissioner, Deven Bharti, to ensure a comprehensive and effective investigation into the alleged offenses and the complaints received. The team will be led by the joint commissioner of police (crime) and will comprise senior officers from the crime branch, special branch, and detection units.
The irregularities were brought to light by an internal Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) probe, which indicated that a significant number of birth certificates were allegedly issued to individuals, including Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya residents, by bypassing the mandatory Civil Registration System (CRS) portal. Instead, an older SAP-CPWM system was reportedly used for manipulating records, violating guidelines set by the Registrar General of India.
Reports suggest that between 2024 and 2026, more than 87,000 corrections or dubious entries were made in the system. Specifically, 30,507 entries were recorded in 2024, increasing to 49,705 in 2025, and a further 7,135 in 2026. This massive scale of alleged manipulation has raised serious concerns about the integrity of official records and has prompted demands for stringent action against officials and middlemen involved in the scam.
The issue gained political traction with allegations from BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who claimed that bogus birth certificates were being issued to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas in Maharashtra. In response to these allegations and the findings of the BMC probe, the civic vigilance department has been tasked with auditing birth and death registrations across all BMC wards. This audit aims to uncover the full extent of the fraud and identify all responsible parties.
In parallel efforts, the BMC administration had previously reviewed 237 cases of alleged fraudulent birth certificate issuance. Of these, 119 certificates were reportedly removed from the portal and retrieved. In instances where individuals refused to return the documents, the administration was instructed to file First Information Reports (FIRs) against them. FIRs were slated to be filed against 116 individuals, with 87 others untraceable.
The BMC has also initiated disciplinary actions and transfers of Medical Health Officers (MHOs) from affected wards, with some officers having already been suspended for their alleged roles in illegally issuing birth certificates. The civic body is considering restructuring responsibilities within the MHO cadre to ensure better oversight and accountability in the birth and death registration processes. The drive to identify and address these irregularities intensified following directives from the new mayor, Ritu Tawde, to act against illegal immigrants using forged documents.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
