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Terrorist-gangster nexus: NIA detains Patiala health dept official for ‘issuing fake birth certificate’ to wanted man
On March 12, NIA had raided 30 locations in four states in connection with the terrorist-gangster nexus case relating to individual designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla and other suspects of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained a Patiala health department employee over allegedly issuing a fake birth certificate to a member wanted in terrorist-gangster nexus.
Confirming the development, Patiala civil surgeon Dr Raminder Kaur on Friday said that the in-charge of the birth and death certificate branch was detained by NIA on March 14.
The civil surgeon said that the department has already informed the senior officials in the Punjab police and the state health department.
On March 12, NIA had raided 30 locations in four states in connection with the terrorist-gangster nexus case relating to individual designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla and other suspects of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
Raids were conducted across Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chandigarh by NIA teams as part of the agency’s crackdown against the terror activities of chiefs/members of the proscribed terrorist organisations and other such outfits.
The premises raided were linked to various suspected associates of Dalla, as well as Baljeet Maur and Australia-based Gurjant Singh, in an NIA case dated February 13, 2024.
As per sources, the alleged certificate was issued between 2016 and 2017 by the said in-charge of the birth and death certificate department of Patiala health department to an individual who was associated with a terrorist organisation.
The person later used this fake birth certificate to procure more documents, including the passport, which was used to flee the country.
“Before 2019, the birth certificates in Punjab were issued through offline mode, therefore, there is a high chance of issuing fake certificates. As of now, the health department doesn’t issue birth certificates. It only issues it when the certificate is lost,” said a senior health official.
As per the sources, the official was detained from the office itself. “The accused was detained in an already registered case by NIA. The family members of the accused have already been informed,” a Punjab police official said on the condition of anonymity.
