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In a significant move to curb the rise in illegal immigration, the Maharashtra government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the issuance of birth and death certificates for delayed applications, an official revealed on Saturday.
The SIT, led by Inspector General Datta Karale, will investigate cases where birth and death certificates have been issued despite applications being submitted well after the required period. These delayed applications, which are typically submitted at least a year after a person's birth or death, have raised concerns over their potential link to illegal immigration, particularly from Bangladesh.
The decision to form the SIT comes after growing concerns over the number of Bangladeshi immigrants residing in India without proper documentation. The issue gained widespread attention following the arrest of Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi national, who was implicated in a knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan in Mumbai.
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule confirmed the formation of the probe team, stating that it would examine both the certificates already issued and any pending applications. He added that the investigation would delve into the authenticity of these delayed applications and whether they were being used to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants.
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The move follows allegations made by former BJP Member of Parliament (MP) Kirit Somaiya, who claimed that a large-scale birth certificate scam was being run across the state. According to Somaiya, 269 delayed birth registration orders were issued by the Akola City magistrate court between January 2021 and December 2023. However, the tehsildar issued 4,849 orders to register delayed birth applications. Additionally, Somaiya highlighted the number of delayed applications in other districts, including Yavatmal (11,864), Akola (15,845), and Nagpur (4,350).
