By: Express News Service Mumbai | July 31, 2025 07:54 IST 2 min readChandrashekhar Bawankule also held a video conference with the state Chief Secretary to review the progress of the exercise. (X)The state government will cancel over 42,000 fake birth certificates issued to Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in Maharashtra by August 15, state revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced on Wednesday.Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Bawankule said the figure could rise as verification continues. “By August 15, fake birth certificates given to Bangladeshis staying illegally in the state will be cancelled,” he said, adding that the revenue and health departments have been directed to coordinate on the matter.The minister also held a video conference with the state Chief Secretary to review the progress of the exercise.The issue gained attention earlier this year after BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged that 3,997 birth certificates had been fraudulently issued to Bangladeshi nationals using forged documents. Following the allegation, two officials posted in Malegaon were suspended.In March, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam told the Maharashtra Assembly that the government had ramped up its crackdown on illegal immigrants over the past four years.109 Bangladeshis were deported in 2021,77 in 2022,127 in 2023 and in 2024, 716 arrests and 202 deportations have been recorded so far.Until March 2024, action had been taken against 600 more Bangladeshi nationals found living illegally in Maharashtra.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd