The Home Department of Maharashtra has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate allegations of fake birth certificates being issued to Bangladeshi and Rohingya individuals in Malegaon taluka, Nashik district. The four-member SIT will be led by the Special Inspector General (Nashik Zone) and will include the Zonal Joint Commissioner of Urban Development (Nashik), the Additional Collector (Nashik), and the Additional Superintendent of Police (Malegaon).
The SIT was established following multiple complaints about the issuance of fraudulent birth certificates through the Malegaon Tehsil Office and Malegaon Municipal Corporation. In response, the Home Department issued a government resolution (GR) mandating the SIT to verify the validity of the claims. If the allegations are substantiated, the team will investigate how the certificates were issued and provide a detailed report within six months, including recommendations to prevent such activities in the future.
A senior BJP leader recently spotlighted the issue, claiming that nearly 1,000 fake birth certificates were issued to Bangladeshi and Rohingya individuals in Malegaon. The certificates were allegedly used to apply for Indian citizenship. “Birth certificates were even issued to individuals as old as 50 without proper verification,” the leader alleged.
In 2023, the Government of India amended the Birth and Death Registration Act, granting tehsil offices and municipal corporations the authority to issue these certificates. However, concerns have arisen that this provision is being misused in Malegaon, leading to potential lapses in security protocols.
The concern isn’t limited to Malegaon. An SIT has also been constituted in Amravati district to examine similar complaints from Anjangaon Surji. This SIT will be led by the Deputy Zonal Officer of Daryapur, supported by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Anjangaon), the Group Development Officer (Panchayat Samiti, Anjangaon), and the Chief Officer of Nagar Parishad (Anjangaon).
Both SITs have been tasked with providing conclusive findings to the government while proposing measures to ensure transparency and accountability in issuing birth certificates.
Additionally, BJP leaders have raised alarm over alleged money laundering activities in Malegaon, where accounts linked to questionable transactions amounting to nearly Rs 100 crores were uncovered. Investigators suspect that the funds might have been used for terror financing.
