India, July 7 -- An investigation by the Mumbai unit of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into a fake birth/death certificate racket has unearthed crucial evidence that connects several key suspects, including a former Malegaon government officer, to the case. The scam pertains to the issuance of these certificates on delayed applications-made at least a year after the birth or death of a person-which are then used for nefarious purposes.

The investigation so far, based on several Maharashtra police cases, has revealed the existence of a sophisticated network that issues these certificates on a large scale, ED sources said. Based on specific intelligence, the ED recently traced the bank account of one such private agent, who allegedly fac...