Police probe 221 unauthorized certificates issued in Mumbai F South and F North
A police investigation has been launched into the alleged unauthorized issuance of 221 government certificates in the F/South and F/North divisions of Mumbai. Between May 8 and June 5, these income, domicile, and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates were reportedly issued without any supporting documents or evidence after the digital signature of a junior revenue officer was misused.
A scrutiny committee probing the matter has named Mumbai city deputy collector Ganesh Sangale and revenue assistant Nagnath Lolewar. The committee discovered the irregularities during an internal verification ordered by Additional Collector Bappasaheb Thorat.
Out of 2,039 certificates issued in the two divisions during the specified period, the committee examined 1,023 certificates and found that 221 had been issued without the necessary supporting documents. The verification of the remaining certificates is currently underway.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), tahsildar Sandeep Aawari was the designated authority for the F/South and F/North divisions. When Aawari went on leave on May 8, the charge was handed over to Sanket Yamgar, the tahsildar of the Sanjay Gandhi Yojana Branch. All certificates issued during this period were supposed to carry Yamgar’s digital signature.
However, the FIR alleges that Sangale orally instructed nayab tahsildar Dipali Kulkarni to generate her own digital signature. Kulkarni stated to the police that she created the digital signature and handed it over to Sangale. Investigators suspect that Sangale then routed the unauthorized issuance of the certificates through revenue assistant Lolewar.
Police investigators are now analyzing documentary evidence and recording statements from the concerned officials. Once the preliminary inquiry is complete, police will issue summons to the accused and others linked to the case for questioning.
The ongoing police investigation aims to determine whether any of these irregular certificates were used to fraudulently obtain admissions, employment, government benefits, or other entitlements. Investigators are also working to identify the beneficiaries and establish if the lapses indicate a larger conspiracy within or beyond the collectorate.
