Fatorda police have arrested Jose D’Souza and Gerald in connection with a fake residence certificate racket that facilitated the registration of marriages using forged documents. The duo faces charges including fraud, impersonation, forgery, and cheating.
The arrests follow a petition filed by the South Goa Advocates’ Association (SGAA) with the Superintendent of Police, South Goa, which highlighted the widespread misuse of forged residence certificates at the Sub-Registrar’s Office in Margao. The petition raised serious concerns about the integrity of the marriage registration process being compromised.
Advocate Prasad Naik, President of SGAA, stated in the petition that many forged residence certificates were being submitted by agents and touts, some falsely claiming to be advocates, damaging the legal fraternity’s reputation.
In Goa, marriage registration requires one party to submit a valid residence certificate proving local residency. However, investigations revealed that forged certificates are being used to circumvent this requirement, often for ulterior motives.
Officials at the Sub-Registrar’s Office in Salcete confirmed they had raised concerns about these fraudulent activities, but police inaction raised suspicions of potential complicity.
The petition also noted acceptance of other forged documents, such as name correction certificates, further highlighting systemic issues.
Following a complaint by the Sub-Registrar’s Office, the Fatorda police arrested Jose D’Souza and Gerald. Authorities now plan to deepen the probe into the racket and identify other involved parties.
