Mumbai: A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against 43 individuals for allegedly engaging in fraudulent practices related to birth certificates issued by the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra.
Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya had raised the issue of the alleged irregularities in the issuance of birth certificates.
Bogus birth certificates were being issued to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and Rohingyas in parts of Maharashtra under a scam, he claimed.
The Jalgaon police FIR, registered on April 4, reveals that the allegedly fraudulent birth certificates contained fabricated or unrelated addresses. Moreover, many certificates lacked essential supporting documents, such as hospital records or legal affidavits, as mandated by the Registration of Births and Deaths Act.
These birth certificates could potentially be misused for acquiring documents like Aadhaar, ration cards and voter IDs.
Somaiya welcomed the registration of the FIR and said there is a need for stricter oversight and accountability in government processes.
(inputs from PTI)