CBI probes issuance of birth certificates to Afghans

Jalpaiguri: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued a notice to Malbazar Municipality, seeking a report on the alleged issuance of birth certificates to individuals by the Malbazar Municipality who later were found to be Afghan nationals. The documents reportedly enabled the individuals to obtain Indian passports.

The case had surfaced recently when six Afghan nationals were detained at Delhi Airport with Indian passports. Initial inquiries revealed that many fake documents, including birth certificates supposedly issued by Malbazar Municipality, had been used to obtain the Indian passports.

Municipality Chairman Swapan Saha initially denied receiving the CBI notice. However, sources confirmed that a staff member from the Birth and Death Registration department was summoned to the CBI office for questioning and discrepancies were found. On December 5, the CBI issued a follow-up notice requesting access to relevant municipal documents and seeking details of the verification process used for issuing the certificates. The agency is investigating whether municipal staff were complicit in the case.

The issue has sparked strong political reactions. Jalpaiguri BJP MP Jayant Kumar Roy accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of facilitating illegal citizenship to strengthen its voter base, claiming such practices undermine national security.

Despite denying prior knowledge of the notice, Chairman Swapan Saha assured full cooperation with the investigation.

“I have directed the concerned department to provide all necessary documents to the CBI,” he said. Vice-chairman Utpal Bhaduri added: “The staff have been instructed to thoroughly investigate the matter and respond to the notice promptly.”