Nearly 30 suspended after probe shows 100 false documents issued from identical addresses, revealing coach-MCD official nexusNEW DELHI: In a major age-fraud case, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) announced a ban on nearly 30 junior wrestlers after they were found to have procured and submitted fake birth certificates, predominantly obtained from areas under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) Narela and Rohini jurisdictions among its 12 administrative zones.
Fake birth certificates of the junior athletes procured from identical addresses came to light after a TOI investigation revealed a network involving wrestlers, coaches and officials from the MCD, all working in collusion within the Capital’s municipal zones that border neighbouring Haryana.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Additionally, Yash Kumar, a reigning Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) gold medallist in men’s 80kg freestyle, has been directed to undergo a ‘bone test’ to determine his actual age following revelations of repeated tampering with his date of birth (DOB) on his Aadhar card. Until the medical verification process is concluded, Yash will not receive any Khelo India incentives. Yash, who according to the federation is physically over 20 years of age was recently disqualified from representing Delhi in an under-17 national wrestling competition on the grounds of being overage.
As per the investigation, the examination of documents involving at least 100 wrestlers revealed inconsistencies between addresses and birth dates on their registration certificates and the information provided to the WFI. The governing body is now scrutinising around 400 cases from Haryana alone in which young athletes are suspected of using fake certificates from Delhi to become eligible for younger age-group events. The main objective appears to be securing college admissions and potential government jobs. Passports given to the WFI revealed residential addresses in Rohtak, Jhajjar, and Sonepat. The WFI made queries to several zones of the Municipal Corporation of Haryana (MCH), as well as the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), exposing the extensive scale of the age-fraud case.
It was revealed that nearly all wrestlers under review had secured fake birth certificates from identical place of registration – in Begumpur under the Narela jurisdiction and Mangolpuri in the Rohini zone. A detailed scrutiny of original birth certificates from Haryana municipal authorities, as well as passports, revealed actual birthplaces and addresses in Rohtak, Jhajjar, and Sonepat, in addition to differing DOBs. Most of the wrestlers were born between 2006-2009 but had birth certificates registered in 2021-2022, indicating a disparity of nearly 14-15 years.
In one instance, Dipanshu cited his DOB as 26/10/2009, with a birth certificate registration date of 06/01/2021, obtained from one of the same addresses – Rajeev Nagar, Begumpur, North West Delhi 110086. The federation checks with the department of health services, Municipal Corporation Rohtak, revealed his true DOB as 16/10/2006, with his home in Rainak Pura village, Rohtak. Similarly, national-level wrestler Rohit Gulia was found to have manipulated personal data repeatedly, including DOB changes and unauthorised Aadhar updates (seven times from 2013 to 2021). His official birth certificate from the Municipal Corporation of Rohtak documented his DOB as 17/10/1999, while he declared it as 17/10/2001 in national competitions. Both Dipanshu and Rohit have now been banned by WFI from all future tournaments.
WFI president Sanjay Singh has written to Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta to act against MCD officials. “What is particularly alarming is the frequency of such (false) certificates being issued after a considerable lapse of time. This is contrary to the normal practice, wherein birth certificates are typically issued within one- or two-months following birth. The Narela zone, situated close to the Haryana border, has seen a disproportionately high number of such delayed issuances. I urge your office to kindly direct the concerned authorities in all MCD zones to exercise strict scrutiny and restraint in issuing birth certificates where the application is made after an unusually long delay,” he added.
MCD has admitted to the lapse and said it will probe this issue.
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