Bangladeshi youth caught with fake birth certificate while applying for passport in Kalna

Pabitra Mandal, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested in Kalna for attempting to obtain a passport using a forged birth certificate. Mandal, who had been residing illegally in India for nearly three years, applied for a passport to return to Bangladesh. His application, along with a birth certificate allegedly issued by Kalna Municipality, raised suspicions. The document was forwarded for verification, and Kalna Municipality confirmed that it was a counterfeit.

Mandal had entered India from Bangladesh without proper documentation, reportedly staying at his maternal uncle's house in Krishna Debpur, Kalna. His forged birth certificate indicated that he was born in 2003 at Kalna Sub-Divisional Hospital, with a signature from the then-Chairman and MLA, Debaprosad Bager. The signature was later confirmed to be forged by Bager himself. In addition to the fake birth certificate, Mandal was found to be in possession of a fake Aadhaar card and voter ID card, which were also used in his passport application.

Azarul Islam, the owner of a cyber café in Kalna, was arrested in connection with the creation of the fake documents. Police investigations revealed that Islam allegedly assisted Mandal in forging the birth certificate and other identification papers. Authorities are currently probing Islam’s involvement and investigating whether a wider network was involved in the production and distribution of forged documents.

Both Mandal and Islam were taken into custody, and the court granted five days of police remand for further questioning. The investigation continues as authorities examine potential links to larger illegal immigration activities and document forgery operations. The case underscores growing concerns over the misuse of fake documents for illegal purposes, and the authorities have emphasized the need for heightened vigilance in such matters.