By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Police have arrested seven persons involved in producing fake birth certificates issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths of the Shillong Municipal Board while applying for the Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC).
The persons who have been arrested are those against whom the East Khasi Hills district administration had filed an FIR against for submitting of fake birth certificates while applying for the EPIC.
Police have however refused to divulge the names of the people arrested.
“We have arrested seven people who are involved in producing fake birth certificates issued by the SMB while applying for the EPIC,” East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police AR Mawthoh informed on Wednesday.
According to Mawthoh, those arrested are accused of being involved in three out of the six cases against which the police have registered a case on the basis of the FIR lodged by the district administration.
“The culprits involved in the other three cases are still absconding. Police are on the job to catch the culprits who have absconded,” he said.
Meanwhile, the senior police official said that the police are also trying to establish whether there are staff inside the SMB who are involved in this racket. It may be mentioned that the East Khasi Hills district administration had lodged a complaint against Raghubansh Ray, Moni Thapa and Om Prakash for submitting fake birth certificates while applying for voter’s identity card.
Earlier, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma had said that the Election department has detected six cases where people submitted their application for enrolment in the voters’ list by producing fake documents.
“I have directed that these six individuals be booked under relevant sections of law for submitting fake documents to back up their claims to citizenship. All necessary steps would be taken to prosecute them,” Dr Sangma said while speaking to reporters here on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister also said he would ask the Election Department to remain vigilant to track similar cases.