Phantom Voters of Bengal: The Rise of a Document Forgery Empire

Paromita Das
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 22nd May: In recent weeks, an alarming revelation has jolted West Bengal’s political and administrative landscape. The state, already known for its complex border dynamics with Bangladesh, is now at the heart of a scandal involving the infiltration of foreign nationals—mostly Bangladeshis—into Bharat’s voter rolls. This is no isolated lapse; it’s an elaborate web of deceit involving fake documents, corrupted local systems, and a deliberate plan to game Bharat’s democratic framework.

What has unfolded is not merely a law-and-order issue but a challenge to the foundational pillars of Bharatiya democracy. Investigative reports confirm that the state machinery has been infiltrated and exploited to fabricate an Bharatiya identity for foreign nationals, allowing them not only to reside illegally but also to participate in state and national elections.

The Mullick Episode: Tip of the Iceberg

The arrest of Azad Mullick by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kolkata has served as a critical turning point in the ongoing investigation. Initially a Pakistani national, Mullick reportedly assumed Bangladeshi citizenship through fraudulent documents before acquiring Bharatiya identity credentials. This was not merely a case of document forgery; it was a systemic abuse of Bharat’s democratic framework. Mullick successfully registered as a voter in the Dum Dum-Uttar Assembly constituency and exercised his illegal voting rights in both the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Mullick’s journey—from illegal entry to acquiring an Bharatiya passport—highlights a meticulously executed operation that goes far beyond an individual’s ambitions. It points to a larger syndicate that facilitates identity laundering for illegal immigrants, many of whom are willing to pay handsomely to permanently embed themselves within Bharatiya society.

The Ecosystem of Forgery

What is perhaps most disturbing is the infrastructure that supports this racket. This isn’t about a few isolated bad actors; it’s about a well-oiled system that has embedded itself into state-level governance.

Local agents, operating out of hospitals, panchayats, and municipal offices, have become the architects of a parallel system of identity production. These agents supply fake birth certificates to individuals who have no legal basis to claim Bharatiya identity. From there, the fraud extends into the Food and Civil Supplies Department, where ration cards—another key identity marker—are issued with equal impunity.

These base-level documents, once secured, unlock access to Bharat’s more authoritative forms of identification: Aadhaar cards, EPICs (Voter ID cards), PAN cards, and eventually, Bharatiya passports. With these in hand, the illegal immigrants don’t just blend into the population—they gain voting rights, access to welfare schemes, and the ability to travel internationally as Bharatiya citizens.

A Threat to National Security and Democratic Sanctity

The broader implication of this scam is dire. The integrity of Bharat’s voter list—a vital pillar of any democracy—is under threat. By enrolling foreign nationals into the electoral rolls, the very concept of “one person, one vote” is jeopardized. Moreover, this voter fraud has the potential to swing tight electoral margins, particularly in constituencies near the border with dense migrant populations.

National security is equally at stake. The possession of legitimate Bharatiya identity credentials by foreign nationals—including potential hostile elements—opens up possibilities for espionage, internal sabotage, and unchecked illegal economic activity. If someone like Azad Mullick, originally from Pakistan, can seamlessly integrate himself into the Bharatiya citizenry and vote in elections, what prevents more dangerous actors from doing the same?

Political Apathy or Calculated Complicity?

The political undertones of this crisis cannot be ignored. While law enforcement agencies are actively cracking down on the racket, there is an eerie silence from several political corners. Critics argue that some local political bodies may have turned a blind eye—or worse, actively enabled these operations—for vote bank politics. The pattern of illegal migrants being absorbed into particular regions and casting votes en masse raises unsettling questions about the relationship between vote consolidation and illegal naturalization.

Is this administrative failure the result of neglect, or is it a politically motivated strategy to alter the demographic and electoral profile of key constituencies? The answer to that could alter how we view electoral integrity in several border states, not just West Bengal.

The Administrative Response

To the credit of enforcement agencies, a sweeping crackdown is underway. Authorities are not only arresting individuals like Mullick but are also attempting to dismantle the agent networks that form the backbone of this racket. Investigators are mapping out patterns in voter registration, Aadhaar issuance, and passport distribution to identify other potentially fraudulent cases.

However, administrative clean-up alone is insufficient. What is required is a comprehensive overhaul of the identification and verification processes—especially in sensitive border districts. There must be tighter coordination between central databases and state-level documentation processes to detect and flag anomalies in real time.

An Urgent Call for Electoral and Policy Reform

This incident should serve as a catalyst for deeper electoral reforms. First, the linking of Aadhaar with Voter ID, a process that has already begun, needs to be expedited and made mandatory across the country. Second, the issuance of key documents such as birth certificates and ration cards must undergo third-party verification, particularly in high-risk regions like the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Moreover, the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) discussions—which have often been politically contentious—must be revisited with renewed urgency. Without a verified citizenship registry, Bharat’s democratic fabric remains exposed to manipulation.

A Crisis That Demands Vigilance and Will

The unfolding scandal in West Bengal is not just a state-level issue—it is a national crisis. It reveals how the sacred right to vote, the most powerful tool in a democracy, is being exploited by those who were never meant to wield it. It brings to light the systemic loopholes that allow foreign nationals to claim Bharatiya identity and participate in shaping the country’s future—without any legal, emotional, or civic bond with the nation.

While the crackdown provides a measure of hope, the political establishment must rise above partisan interests and treat this issue as the existential threat it is. If Bharat is to safeguard its democratic soul, it must ensure that its identity systems and electoral processes are reserved solely for those who have the rightful claim to them—its own citizens.