Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal, who was the state’s chief electoral officer during the SIR, said anyone who deliberately committed fraud would not be spared. (File Photo)The West Bengal government has started verifying birth and death certificates following allegations that they were issued indiscriminately during the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll when the Trinamool Congress was in power.“We have received many complaints after the election. During the SIR, many errors and irregularities were detected. The police have also received many complaints. Fake birth certificates have been found in many places. Many people have taken advantage of the situation. Although there were rules, there have been many irregularities,” Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal said on Thursday.“If anyone has knowingly and deliberately committed fraud, they won’t be spared,” said Agarwal, who was the state’s chief electoral officer during the SIR. “This verification of birth certificates is only a routine procedure. This step has been taken to eliminate corruption. Government officials will carry out the verification. No contractual employee will do the verification.”The chief secretary said that many people were facing inconvenience now because of a few others’ mistakes.Officials said verification drives would be launched across districts to investigate fake birth and death certificates. The process of verifying registers is underway in Birbhum, Purulia, and Jhargram districts. The police are also conducting searches, they added.Human trafficking ring exposedLast year, nine people, including contractual post office employees and a former police officer, were arrested from border districts for allegedly helping people to obtain Indian passports using forged documents, especially fake birth certificates. These passports were used to travel to France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Canada.Also Read | With 3500 forged, they call us India’s fake birth certificate capital’ – How Bengal’s passport ‘scam’ left one village shamefaced“The investigation has revealed that the accused were operating an international human trafficking ring. They were recruiting illegal immigrants and facilitating their travel to European countries by providing them with fraudulently obtained Indian passports,” the police submitted in a court in the case.Story continues below this adOne of the arrested accused, Gautam Sardar, a casual worker at the Pathankhali gram panchayat office in South 24 Parganas district, had allegedly issued more than 3,500 fake birth certificates over the last couple of years.Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram