In a significant breakthrough, the Yavatmal police have arrested a man from Bihar in connection with a massive fake birth certificate scam that rocked a small village in Maharashtra. The cyber-enabled fraud involved the creation of tens of thousands of fraudulent entries in the official Civil Registration System.
The Shendursani Village Scam Uncovered
Authorities in Yavatmal district were alerted to suspicious activity in the digital records of Shendursani village, located in Arni taluka. An official complaint filed at the Yavatmal police station revealed a shocking discrepancy. Between September 2025 and November 2025, the system logged 27,397 births and seven deaths for the village. This number is astronomically high, given that Shendursani's actual population is only around 1,400 residents.
Preliminary investigations quickly indicated that the fake entries were not made locally. Instead, the perpetrators had used cyber channels to access and manipulate the Gram Panchayat's system from another state. The sheer scale of the fraud prompted immediate action from the highest levels of the state government.
The Investigation and Arrest
Taking serious note of the scam, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter thoroughly. Following directions from Superintendent of Police Kumar Chit, a dedicated technical analysis team and SIT were formed under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Police Officer Dinesh Baisane.
The teams meticulously followed the digital trail. Their investigation, based on concrete digital evidence, led them to Adarsh Kumar Ashok Dubey, a 20-year-old resident of Panditpur village in Kishunpur taluka, Saran district, Bihar. The accused was traced and subsequently arrested for his alleged involvement in the scam.
On Friday, Dubey was produced before a local court. After hearing the arguments presented by investigating officer SDPO Dinesh Baisane, the court remanded the accused in police custody. Dubey will remain in police custody until January 12 to aid further investigation into the interstate cyber fraud network.
Implications and Ongoing Probe
This case highlights a serious vulnerability in the digital governance infrastructure, where remote access can be exploited for large-scale document forgery. The creation of over 27,000 fake birth records in a two-month period points to a sophisticated operation, potentially aimed at creating fake identities for illegal purposes.
The arrest of an individual from a different state underscores the interstate and cyber-centric nature of modern crime. The Yavatmal police's SIT continues its probe to determine the full scope of the scam, identify other potential accomplices, and uncover the motive behind the creation of such a vast number of fraudulent documents. The case serves as a stern warning about the need for enhanced cybersecurity for vital registration systems across the country.
