Authorities in Uttar Pradesh have uncovered a large-scale fraud involving the hacking of a Panchayat Secretary’s official ID to generate fake birth certificates across 10 states. The breach, which occurred between August 15 and 18, resulted in the unauthorized issuance of 597 fraudulent birth certificates, raising serious concerns about vulnerabilities in India’s digital governance systems.
According to official records, the identity credentials of Nagendra Singh, Panchayat Secretary of Dattacholi Buzurg village in Aligarh’s Bijouli block, were compromised. Hackers allegedly manipulated the government’s online birth and death certificate registration portal, producing certificates not only for residents of Uttar Pradesh but also for Bihar, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Haryana, West Bengal, Tripura, and Jharkhand.
Scale of the Fake Certificates
Investigations revealed that the highest number of certificates: 213, were issued for individuals from Bihar, particularly from Darbhanga, Bhagalpur, Buxar, and other districts. Uttar Pradesh followed, with Basti district alone recording 66 fraudulent entries. Other affected regions included Assam (43), Andhra Pradesh (23), Chandigarh (19), and several districts across Haryana, Tripura, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand.
Authorities confirmed that hackers also attempted to generate an additional 150 certificates, which could not be approved. Digital forensics teams are now analyzing IP addresses and phone numbers linked to the fraudulent activity. Several mobile numbers used by the perpetrators have already been identified.
Official Response and Security Concerns
District Panchayat Officer Yatendra Singh stated that all Panchayat officials have been instructed to strengthen their password protection and avoid sharing login credentials. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Amrit Jain confirmed that a cybercrime inquiry is underway, with further legal action pending the investigation report.
The incident underscores the growing challenges of cybercrime targeting India’s rapidly digitized governance systems. Experts warn that fake birth certificates can be misused for obtaining government benefits, creating fraudulent identities, and facilitating illegal activities. With the scale of the fraud spanning multiple states, this case is being treated as a serious national security and governance issue.