Maharashtra Govt Forms SIT to Investigate Delayed Birth and Death Certificate Issuances Amid Bangladeshi Immigrant Concerns

In a bid to curb the growing number of Bangladeshi immigrants, the Maharashtra government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the issuance of birth and death certificates in response to "delayed" applications, an official confirmed on Saturday.

The SIT led by Inspector General Datta Karale will probe the issuance of birth and death certificates on delayed applications, the official from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) told PTI.

Delayed applications refer to those submitted at least a year after the birth or death of an individual. The issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in India has gained attention following the arrest of Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi national, in connection with the knife attack on actor Saif Ali Khan in Mumbai.

Confirming the development, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told PTI that the investigation will include both previously issued certificates and pending applications. The government's decision to establish a probe team follows allegations made by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya regarding a birth certificate scam.

The former MP has claimed that between January 2021 and December 2023, the magistrate court of Akola City issued 269 orders for delayed birth registrations. However, the tehsildar authorized the registration of 4,849 delayed birth applications during the same period.