May 03, 2025 08:30 AM IST
MUMBAI: So, get this – there’s been this whole big scam going on in Maharashtra involving fake birth and death certificates. Yeah, you heard me right. It’s like something out of a movie, except it’s real life. Apparently, these fake documents have been used for all sorts of shady stuff like identity fraud and illegal activities.
The whole thing came to light when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) started investigating this racket where people were using bogus documents to register births and deaths. Can you imagine that? Fake birth certificates, fake death certificates – it’s like a whole underground operation going on.
According to sources, these fraudsters were submitting fake school-leaving certificates, Aadhaar cards, ration cards, voter identity cards, and transfer certificates to get these delayed registrations done. I mean, who even thinks of doing something like that? It’s just mind-blowing.
The ED suspects that these forged birth and death certificates could have been used for all sorts of illegal activities like getting government benefits, property rights, financial fraud, and even illegal immigration. It’s like a whole web of deceit and crime that’s been uncovered.
The investigation started when local revenue officials in various districts of Maharashtra noticed something fishy with the documents being submitted for these registrations. Tampered documents, fake seals, fake signatures – it was a mess. FIRs were filed in districts like Akola, Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Latur, Nashik (Rural), Parbhani, and Malegaon.
In Malegaon alone, they found out that over 3,000 fake certificates had been issued between August 2023 and December 2024. Can you believe that? That’s a lot of fake documents floating around. It seems like there was this whole network of forgers, middlemen, and beneficiaries working together to pull off this scam.
The ED even looked into the bank accounts of the suspects and agents involved in the racket. They found out about all these UPI transfers and cash deposits that were probably bribe money. It’s like something straight out of a crime thriller. One of the key agents was reportedly collecting bribes on behalf of a former official from the Malegaon tehsil. The money was then being distributed to other people in the network.
So, yeah, it’s a pretty crazy situation that’s been uncovered in Maharashtra. Who knows how deep this rabbit hole goes? The authorities are still trying to figure out the full extent of the fraud. But one thing’s for sure – there’s a whole lot of shady stuff going on behind the scenes.
And that’s the latest news from Maharashtra, folks. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story. Who knows what other secrets will come to light in the days to come.
