Mumbai: Investigations by Special Investigation Teams (SIT) into illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants in Maharashtra have revealed high-level document-forging syndicates suspected to have links with many politicians, government officers and NGOs operating with the main purpose of creating vote banks.
These syndicates reportedly facilitated the creation of birth certificates and other documents for Bangladeshi and Rohingya Muslims in the state.
Fake documents to legal identities
Once the birth certificates were issued, they were used to generate Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, domicile certificates, and driving licences. These documents then paved the way for the creation of voter ID cards and the opening of bank accounts. Shockingly, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has uncovered that some Bangladeshi nationals even managed to obtain Indian passports using such fake residential proofs.
It has also been found that fake residential proofs created in Malegaon, Nashik, were used to issue Indian passports through the Surat Passport Office in Gujarat.
Political links under lens
The SIT is now investigating to identify the syndicates responsible for these fake documents and is investigating their links to NGOs, political parties, and social organisations that might have supported these activities to expand vote banks.
Kirit Somaiya flags issue
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who has been vocal on this issue, revealed in a tweet this morning that a similar scam has surfaced in Anjangaon Surji tehsil of Amravati district in Vidarbha. He highlighted that Indian birth certificates were issued to Bangladeshi and Rohingya nationals there, mirroring the scale of the Malegaon case. In response, the Maharashtra government has also formed an SIT to probe the Amravati case.
Somaiya said he will visit Amravati on 13 January to meet with the SIT team and ensure that those behind the fake documentation networks, along with their political backers, are apprehended. He emphasised the importance of dismantling these syndicates to maintain the integrity of India’s legal documentation system.
After Malegaon now Anjangaon Surji Amravati
Bangladeshi Rohingya Birth Certificate Scam
Population of Anjangaon Surji tehsil 160903 (2011 Census)
Muslim population 28180
More than 1450 birth certificate applications received in 6 month of which 1400 of Bangladeshi Rohingyas pic.twitter.com/1gWQhbpYx0
— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) January 11, 2025
Concerning census figures
According to the 2011 Census, Anjangaon Surji has a population of 1,60,903, with 28,180 being Muslims. However, in the past six months, 1,450 applications for birth certificates have been submitted to the tehsil office. Somaiya noted that 1,400 of these applications were filed by Muslim citizens, raising concerns about their legitimacy.
