- विज्ञापन -
Kolkata: West Bengal Health Department has announced plans to implement a rigorous multi-level verification process before uploading new birth certificates to its official website. This measure aims to combat the rising incidents of fake birth certificates being uploaded, which are then used to obtain other forged identity documents such as Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voter IDs, and passports.
A senior official from the health department, speaking anonymously, explained that although issuing authorities typically verify birth certificates through the official portal, the presence of counterfeit documents makes it increasingly difficult to identify fakes once uploaded. Therefore, the new protocol will require multiple verification stages to ensure authenticity.
In addition to tightening the process for new uploads, the department will also continue to remove previously uploaded records that have been identified as fake, based on reports from the Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police.
This initiative follows the exposure of a large fake document racket operating out of Pathankhali in the Gosaba block of South 24 Parganas district. Investigators found that this group was involved in producing fake birth certificates on a large scale—often the first step in creating a chain of fraudulent Indian identity papers, including passports. Some of these passports have already been used for international travel.
Law enforcement agencies have urged the health department to eliminate these fake records from the government portal to prevent further misuse. Investigations also revealed that the Pathankhali racket maintains operational links with Basudebpur (near Howrah) and Manikchak in Malda district, North Bengal.
Authorities first identified signs of systematic fake birth certificate misuse earlier this year during investigations into a major fake passport scam. The investigation uncovered that illegally infiltrators—mainly from Bangladesh—were being given shelter in villages near land and coastal borders. These agents assisted them in obtaining forged documents, which served as the basis for acquiring multiple other official identity cards.
Officials believe that implementing these stricter verification measures will help curb the fraudulent use of digital records and dismantle the networks involved in producing fake Indian documents.
