Fake Birth Certificates Under Scanner In Bengal: Verification Drive Finds Over 1.6 Lakh Suspicious Cases

Last Updated:July 01, 2026, 17:22 IST

Authorities have completed verification of both older physical certificates and digitised records, revealing substantial discrepancies

West Bengal’s large-scale verification of birth certificates has uncovered a significant number of suspected fake documents, bringing renewed attention to an issue that has remained politically and administratively contentious for years.

According to the district-wise birth certificate verification report available up to June 6, 2026, authorities have completed verification of both older physical certificates and digitised records, revealing substantial discrepancies.

BJP’s Shamik Bhattacharya said, “We have been raising this issue repeatedly since before the elections. Demographic changes are being carried out in several border areas, and the character of those regions has changed. The Trinamool Congress has been issuing documents such as Aadhaar cards and birth certificates with ease."

NEARLY ONE IN FOUR VERIFIED DOCUMENTS SUSPICIOUS

The report shows that 46,995 birth certificates issued more than one year ago were taken up for verification.

Of these:

44,520 certificates (94.73%) have been verified.

33,548 were found to be genuine.

10,972 were identified as not genuine.

This means that around 24.6% of the verified birth certificates issued more than one year earlier were found to be non-genuine or suspected to be fake.

DIGITISED RECORDS ALSO SHOW LARGE NUMBER OF SUSPICIOUS CERTIFICATES

The verification exercise also covered digitised birth records.

Out of 11,26,835 digitised birth certificates, authorities verified 10,15,880 certificates (90.15%).

Among the verified records:

8,65,706 were found to be genuine.

1,50,174 were identified as not genuine.

Taken together, the verification exercise has identified more than 1.61 lakh suspected fake birth certificates across both categories.

DISTRICT-WISE PATTERN

For birth certificates issued more than one year ago, Kolkata recorded the highest number of suspected fake certificates.

The districts with the highest numbers are:

Kolkata: 4,287

Murshidabad: 3,463

Purulia: 889

Darjeeling: 611

Among digitised records, the highest numbers of suspected fake certificates were found in:

Uttar Dinajpur: 58,509

North 24 Parganas: 19,709

Malda: 16,712

Birbhum: 8,935

The report also highlights comparatively low verification rates in several districts:

Purba Medinipur: 37.39%

Purba Bardhaman: 66.85%

Paschim Bardhaman: 71.91%

Darjeeling: 75.62%

ISSUE CAME INTO FOCUS DURING SIR PROCESS

The issue drew widespread attention during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of electoral rolls, when a case involving a resident of Baranagar triggered controversy.

According to officials, the individual had submitted a birth certificate that had allegedly been issued before the person’s actual date of birth, raising serious questions about the authenticity of the document. The incident sparked political debate and renewed scrutiny of birth certificate verification.

A LONG-RUNNING POLITICAL ISSUE

The issue of alleged fake birth certificates has remained a point of political contention in West Bengal for several years. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeatedly alleged large-scale irregularities in the issuance of birth certificates and has raised the matter on multiple occasions, linking it to concerns over illegal immigration and voter identity. The ruling government has rejected allegations of systematic wrongdoing.

GEOGRAPHIC PATTERN DRAWS ATTENTION

An analysis of the verification data shows that several districts reporting large numbers of suspected fake certificates are located along or close to the international border.

Among older certificates, Murshidabad features prominently, while in digitised records Uttar Dinajpur, North 24 Parganas and Malda report some of the highest numbers. These districts share borders with Bangladesh or are part of the border belt.

The concentration of suspected fake certificates in these districts is likely to attract administrative and political attention because they have frequently figured in debates over migration and demographic trends. However, the verification report itself does not establish any causal link between the detected fake certificates and demographic change or cross-border migration. Any such conclusion would require independent evidence beyond the verification data.

About the Author

Kamalika Sengupta

Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting...Read More

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