Siliguri, October 29 (Siliguri Chronicle) – Shankar Ghosh, the BJP MLA from Siliguri and the party’s chief whip, has filed an RTI application asking for records of birth and death certificates issued by hospitals and panchayats in the Kharibari block of Darjeeling district.
His move comes after the recent arrest of two people accused of issuing hundreds of fake birth and death certificates for cash at the Kharibari rural hospital. Kharibari is a block under the Siliguri subdivision in Darjeeling district.
“I have filed an RTI and have requested data on the birth and death certificates issued in the Kharibari block from July this year and onwards,” MLA Ghosh said.
“This is because the police have found that a racket, which was involved in issuing fake birth and death certificates, was active at the Kharibari rural hospital,” he said.
On October 17, the block medical officer of health in Kharibari filed a police complaint alleging that some individuals were issuing fake birth and death certificates from the hospital for about ₹10,000 each.
Police launched an investigation soon after. They first arrested Nabhajit Guha, who was linked to a Bangla Sahatyata Kendra in the area, and a few days later took Partha Saha, a data entry operator, into custody.
Saha had fled to Nepal to avoid arrest.
A few days ago, when he slipped back into India and tried to head toward Bihar, police caught him.
Investigators have since found that Saha issued hundreds of fake certificates in exchange for money. Many of them went to people living in different places, including neighbouring states such as Bihar.
“We suspect there are some more people involved in the racket, as it is tough to believe that a data entry operator can carry out such a massive illegal practice in a state-run health establishment,” MLA Ghosh said.
“That is why I asked for the data through RTI, as records show that the rate at which such certificates were issued over the past few months is much higher than the usual rate of births and deaths in the area,” the MLA added.
Sources said Ghosh has asked for detailed information on everyone who received a birth or death certificate, including their names, addresses and the panchayat areas involved.
He had earlier voiced concern that fake birth certificates could be used to legitimise infiltrators in the region.
