FIRs for forged documents in passport applications surge after new order
The rise in forged document cases follows a 2022 directive by then Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey, which requires individuals born after July 1987 to submit either parent’s birth certificate to verify their nationality.
3 min read
The rise in FIRs can also be attributed to the increased access to the Civil Registration System (CRA) database, which maintains records of birth and death certificates across the country. (Representational photo)In recent months, Mumbai has seen a notable increase in registration of FIRs related to the submission of forged documents, such as birth certificates, during passport verification. Police stations across the city have seen a surge in such cases with some like Shivaji Nagar registering over 32 FIRs related to such cases in just the past few months.
The rise in forged document cases follows a 2022 directive by then Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey, which requires individuals born after July 1987 to submit either parent’s birth certificate to verify their nationality.
An officer from Shivaji Nagar police station reported that they have registered 32 FIRs and arrested 19 men and eight women in connection with these cases. The officer anticipates the number of FIRs may reach 40 by the end of the month. “There has been a significant increase in the use of fake documents over the past five to six months, particularly parent related documents submitted by applicants born after 1987,” the officer noted.
“Especially in poorer areas where senior citizens do not have their birth certificates or similar documents, their children may have resorted to forging these documents in order to get a passport. Majority of these forged certificates are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” the officer said.
When contacted, Pandey told The Indian Express, “ Purely by birth, one cannot get Indian citizenship. Hence, as proof of nationality, one needs to prove either of the parents are Indian for which some proof is necessary. If not birth certificate, leaving certificate, there can be some proof from gram panchayat or even sworn affidavits if the parents are no more. Hence, I had issued the order and it was just to make the process smoother for citizens. I had also ensured that citizens did not have to visit police stations for passport verification.”
Mumbai police joint commissioner (law & order) Satyanarayan Choudhary said, “ It is not necessary that only birth certificates of parents have to be submitted, there are other documents too that are allowed. We are following the legal process as laid down by the law.”
The rise in FIRs can also be attributed to the increased access to the Civil Registration System (CRA) database, which maintains records of birth and death certificates across the country. When police suspect document fraud, they scan the QR code on the certificate, which should direct them to the CRA’s homepage. “Initially, some QR codes were invalid, leading us to investigate the issuing state and discover that no such certificate had been issued.
This prompted us to register FIRs,” a senior officer said. “Fraudsters later created fake websites mimicking the CRA’s appearance. When scanning the QR codes, we were directed to these fraudulent sites. However, we identified the fake websites and verified the authenticity of the certificates with the issuing states,” he added.
The police have said that during questioning, accused individuals admitted to forging certificates due to the lack of valid documents for their parents, which they believed was necessary to obtain a passport.
You May Like
