Maharashtra Orders High-Level SIT Probe After Massive Birth–Death Certificate Scam Surfaces in Yavatmal Village

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Home Department has launched a high-powered Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate shocking irregularities in the issuance of birth and death certificates at Shendursani Gram Panchayat in Arni taluka of Yavatmal district. The decision follows the detection of massive inconsistencies in official digital records, triggering concerns of systematic abuse of the civil registration framework.

Authorities were alerted after data from the Civil Registration System (CRS) revealed figures that defied basic demographic logic. Despite Shendursani having a population of barely 1,300 residents, official records showed that nearly 27,000 birth and death certificates had been generated from the village’s registration portal. The scale of the mismatch immediately raised red flags about possible manipulation of the digital system.

Based on initial findings, an FIR was lodged at Yavatmal City Police Station invoking multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with sections of the Information Technology Act. The case was first examined under the supervision of senior local police officials before being escalated due to its seriousness.

Given the possibility of wider ramifications beyond a single village, the Home Department transferred the probe to an SIT led by the Additional Director General of Police of Maharashtra Cyber. Senior health officials, including the Deputy Director of Health Services and the District Health Officer, have been included in the team to ensure coordination between law enforcement and the public health administration.

Senior officials recently reviewed the investigation in a high-level meeting, where investigators were instructed to conduct an in-depth technical audit. This includes scrutiny of IP addresses, login trails, and verification of identities under which suspicious certificates were issued, in order to establish the method used and pinpoint those involved.

The SIT is also scheduled to visit Shendursani later this week to carry out on-ground inspections. The team will examine administrative practices at the gram panchayat, verify records, and assess whether procedural loopholes or internal collusion enabled the alleged fraud. Officials indicated that accountability will be fixed once the chain of responsibility is established.