Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has announced stricter regulations for acquiring birth and death certificates, particularly targeting foreign nationals residing illegally in the state. Speaking in the legislative assembly on Wednesday, Bawankule stated that producing fake documents to apply for these certificates will now result in the registration of criminal cases, according to PTI.

The decision comes in the wake of allegations that several Bangladeshi nationals had submitted forged documents to obtain birth certificates. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya recently claimed that 3,997 birth certificates had been issued to Bangladeshi nationals using falsified documents, leading to the suspension of two officials in Malegaon, Nashik district, PTI reports.