Birth Certificate Scam: Over One Lakh Fake Registrations, FIRs Across States, Eight Arrested in Maharashtra

BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya on Tuesday claimed that a large-scale birth certificate fraud has been detected in Maharashtra, involving illegal access to government registration systems. He alleged that more than one lakh birth registrations were fraudulently generated for individuals aged between 20 and 60 by hacking official portals of the central and state governments. According to Somaiya, investigations have so far identified 10 affected locations across Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, including Yavatmal, Jalgaon, Hardoi and Rae Bareli. The Maharashtra Police have arrested eight accused, while probes are continuing in multiple states.

Mumbai, Maharashtra: BJP leader Kirit Somaiya says, “A new birth certificate scam has come to light in Maharashtra. For more than one lakh people aged between 20 and 60, registrations were done directly by hacking the birth registration portals of the Government of India and… pic.twitter.com/INpsDRjpHz

— IANS (@ians_india) January 21, 2026

As reported by TV9 Bharatvarsh, Somaiya said the alleged scam was executed through cyber attacks on the Central Registration System (CRS), the nationwide portal used for official birth registrations. He claimed that over one lakh fake certificates were issued during November and December 2025. FIRs have been registered at 10 police stations across Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, indicating the inter-state nature of the racket. Somaiya alleged that the operation involved hacking, data manipulation and forgery, raising serious concerns about the security of critical government databases used for civil documentation.

Describing the fraud as an “international-level racket,” Somaiya warned that the scale of the operation poses a threat to national security and administrative integrity. As per TV9 Bharatvarsh, cases have been registered in areas such as Parola, Salon in Rae Bareli, Palikhamipur in Aligarh, Hapur, Dibiyapur in Auraiya, Tanda in Hardoi and Jalalpur in Jaunpur. He also claimed that anomalies were found in several villages where birth registrations far exceeded local population figures, suggesting coordinated manipulation rather than clerical errors.

The former MP further alleged that digital footprints linked to the scam point to the use of mobile numbers and email IDs created in 2024 to alter CRS data toward the end of 2025. He said most beneficiaries fell within the 20–60 age group, an abnormal trend for birth registration records. Many of the listed beneficiaries, he added, were neither residents of the villages mentioned nor natives of Maharashtra, strengthening suspicions of a wider network with possible links extending beyond the state.

Somaiya said arrests have also been made in Bihar, with investigations ongoing in several other states. He demanded a high-level inquiry and strict legal action, warning that forged birth certificates could be misused to obtain identity documents, voting rights and other legal entitlements, reported TV9 Bharatvarsh. Separately, he dismissed Congress's criticism over Davos engagements, citing investment agreements worth over ₹14,000 crore and employment opportunities. He also criticised the MNS over the Bihar Bhavan controversy, accusing the party of using divisive language that undermines national unity.