In a major crackdown on document forgery, the Economic Crime Prevention Wing (ECO Cell) of Surat Police has unearthed a nationwide racket of creating bogus birth certificates and apprehended a key accused from Bihar.
The operation, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) VK Parmar, exposed a scam involving the Surat Municipal Health Department and the Community Health Centre (CHC) of Mangawana village panchayat in Kutch district.
Details of operation
Acting on specific intelligence about the illegal activity, ECO Cell officials alerted the Surat Municipal Commissioner. Subsequently, upon the Commissioner's directive, Surat Municipal Corporation Officer Amit Labhubhai Khaveliya lodged a formal complaint with the ECO Cell.
A thorough investigation unveiled a large-scale scam orchestrated by Shintu Yadav, a resident of Jhanzwa village in Bihar. Yadav allegedly operated a website-based network (fastportal.online, fastportal.com) through which he offered bogus birth certificates from various states for a minimal fee. The investigation also suspects the involvement of other individuals in this illicit operation.
Nationwide bogus birth certificate scam busted
"This is a nationwide bogus birth certificate scam," said ACP Virjitsinh Parmar. "Shintu Yadav, the mastermind currently at large, is believed to have created fake certificates across different states through his online portals." Parmar further emphasized the ongoing investigation to identify the extent of the scam and potential accomplices.
The authorities highlight the critical nature of birth certificates as identity documents and acknowledge the possibility of these forgeries being used for fraudulent purposes like loan scams. "A comprehensive investigation is underway to unearth any misuse of these bogus certificates and identify potential loan frauds committed on their basis," stated ACP Parmar. "We anticipate further revelations as the investigation delves deeper."
