Shillong, August 20: Authorities in Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district have booked a Common Services Centre (CSC) operator for allegedly issuing fake Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates to at least five individuals. The case surfaced when one of the forged documents was flagged at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Williamnagar after its QR code failed authentication during an Aadhaar enrolment process.
The accused, who operated the Rainbow CSC in Rongsak, was reportedly producing fraudulent certificates without any legal authority, exploiting the trust placed in the CSC platform. Officials said the operator had issued multiple fake documents, raising concerns over misuse of centres that are meant to deliver legitimate government services.
In response, the district administration has launched a detailed inquiry to determine the full scale of the forgery and identify whether more individuals benefited from the scam. Authorities stressed that those involved would face criminal prosecution.
To prevent further misuse, a stern directive has been issued to all CSCs, cyber cafés, and browsing centres in the district, warning them against issuing unauthorised certificates such as ST/SC, income, or residence documents. Officials underlined that any violation would invite strict legal action.
The East Garo Hills administration is also considering stricter verification systems and closer monitoring of CSC operations to safeguard the authenticity of services and ensure accountability. The case has highlighted the urgent need for stronger checks and balances within the CSC network to protect the integrity of official documents and public trust
