BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Thursday said that authorities have cancelled 3,595 birth certificates that were fraudulently issued to Bangladeshis in Jalna, Maharashtra. Somaiya made the claim in a conversation with reporters followed by his meeting with district magistrate Shrikrishna Panchal. 

“A total of 8,551 birth certificates were issued in Jalna district to Bangladeshi nationals, with applications originating from Ambad, Bhokardan, Jalna, and Partur tehsils. Of these, 3,595 applications have been revoked. The rest will also be cancelled,” the former Lok Sabha MP said. “Naib Tehsildars do not have the authority to issue birth certificates but have done so by bypassing rules, Such illegally issued birth certificates will be revoked,” he added.

Somaiya stated that FIRs have been filed in 24 locations in Akola, leading to 53 arrests, while 38 people are still missing in Malegaon in connection with these certificates. He also claimed that the recent violence in Nagpur is linked to Bangladeshi nationals and fake birth certificates. When asked about the uproar in the legislature over Disha Salian's death case, Somaiya stated that the investigation should continue until her father is satisfied. On Thursday, members of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance brought up the controversy surrounding Disha Salian's death in both houses of the Maharashtra legislature, leading to heated debates. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray stated that he would respond to the allegations against him in court.

Disha Salian passed away on June 8, 2020, after falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Malad, Mumbai. In 2023, the Mumbai police set up a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), which concluded that her death was an accident. On Wednesday, Disha's father, Satish Salian, requested a new investigation into her death.