Village of Ghosts: How 52,000 Phantom Births Unraveled a Pan-India Scam

Rae Bareli authorities in Uttar Pradesh are planning to cancel more than 52,000 bogus birth certificates produced on fictitious addresses in 11 villages within the Salon block, as a huge forgery ring was busted. The racket was exposed when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) alerted authorities last year about suspicious certificates, initiating a months-long verification campaign. Officials discovered that 52,594 fake documents were issued on the login details of a village development officer, implicating a number of local operators in the process.

 

Fake certificates were forged on behalf of people belonging to various Indian states-Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Punjab-as well as foreign nationals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal. Investigations found that the racket was operated by a group of Jan Suvidha Kendra operators, who produced as many as 1,000 bogus certificates a day on government computers. The mastermind behind the scam and a few accomplices have been detained, and the UP Anti-Terror Squad and local police are still investigating.

 

The authorities have forwarded the list of fake certificates to the director general of birth and death registration, and the process of cancellation will start once they receive formal orders. The case has generated major concerns regarding identity forgery, illegal immigration, and the abuse of government digital platforms.

 

Source: Hindustan Times