The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) today announced the suspension of the Health Officer/Registrar of its M-East (Govandi) ward, after an internal probe uncovered that 94 birth certificates had been issued illegally by the official.

According to the reports, the officer in question is alleged to have approved the certificates for individuals who have since been flagged as foreign nationals residing illegally, primarily of Bangladeshi origin, by the authorities. The move comes amid a wider crackdown by the Maharashtra government, which has identified more than 42,000 suspect birth certificates issued to illegal immigrants.