Senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has blown the lid off a massive scam involving the issuance of 103 illegal birth certificates by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) from its Mankhurd (East) Ward Office in 2024. In a detailed complaint filed at Deonar Police Station, Somaiya alleged that these certificates were fraudulently issued to ineligible individuals, including suspected infiltrators, using falsified hospital records from Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi and other institutions. The complaint names the ward registrar and civic officials as key players in this illicit operation.

Somaiya described the scam as part of a larger statewide racket, with 2.24 lakh applications for delayed birth certificates filed across Maharashtra in 2024. Of these, 79,000 were rejected, and 50,000 certificates were cancelled due to irregularities. “This is a serious matter of infiltration and fraud,” Somaiya told reporters, emphasizing that 28 FIRs have been registered across 22 cities, with nearly 2,000 individuals charge-sheeted. In Mumbai, the Suburban District Collector and Kurla Tehsildar have already cancelled some dubious certificates and initiated inquiries, but Somaiya demands criminal action against both beneficiaries and complicit officials.

The allegations point to a systemic issue, with ward officials allegedly exploiting forged records to issue certificates that could facilitate access to Aadhaar cards and other identity documents. Somaiya highlighted the Mankhurd-Govandi-Deonar area as a hotspot for such fraudulent activities, raising concerns about national security. “Police and BMC have assured an immediate probe and strict action,” he stated. Deonar police have confirmed receiving the complaint and have launched an inquiry to verify the claims.

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