MCD launches probe after cops arrest man declared dead in 2021
Delhi Police’s Crime Branch said they have written to MCD officials including a former MCD councilor from outer Delhi in connection with the case.
Days after Delhi Police arrested a man from Outer Delhi constituency who had been declared “dead” on paper to dodge court warrants, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has initiated a detailed internal probe into how the death certificate was found to be genuine and officially stamped and how it was issued. Officials said the civic body is now setting up a committee to identify procedural gaps and recommend safeguards to prevent similar misuse.
The move comes after Delhi Police arrested the accused, identified as Virender Vimal, a resident of Mungeshpur village in North West Delhi, on October 11. Vimal had been declared dead to avoid non-bailable warrants issued against him, police said.
Police said Vimal, a “habitual offender” wanted in multiple cases of house break-ins, theft, burglary, and possession of illegal firearms registered at the Bawana police station, was traced and apprehended from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, last week. During interrogation, police confirmed that the death certificate used by the accused was genuine, bearing authentic MCD signs and stamps.
The certificate was issued in 2021, though the exact date remains unclear. It records the date of death as August 24, 2021. Police said they detected discrepancies in the document last year and had been tracking the accused since then.
Delhi Police’s Crime Branch said they have written to MCD officials including a former MCD councilor from outer Delhi in connection with the case.
A senior MCD official, requesting anonymity, said that the matter falls under the Narela zone, where the deputy health officer (DHO) is cooperating with the police probe. “We are forming a committee to check how this certificate was generated and if more checks and balances can be added to plug this loophole,” the official said, adding that such instances are “very rare.”
Officials explained that, unlike the official cremation grounds where digital or written cremation proof slips are mandatory, several cremations in rural belts of Outer Delhi constiuency—such as Narela and Najafgarh—lack such formal documentation. “There are many cremation grounds in Outer Delhi areas like Narela and Najafgarh where no registered NGOs or organisations are running the facility, so an official cremation slip is not generated. In such cases, the signature from the area representative and two witnesses is considered sufficient,” the official cited above said.
These procedures, the official added, are based on Government of India rules and are also followed in villages across other states. “Less than one percent of death certificates are generated in this manner,” the official said.
According to the “Annual Report on Registration of Births & Deaths in Delhi–2024”, a total of 139,480 deaths were registered in Delhi in 2024, compared to 132,391 in 2023. The death rate per thousand population was 6.37. Of these, 65.16% of deaths were reported by medical institutions, while 34.84% were domiciliary deaths.
Officials explained that in cases of deaths occurring in hospitals or clinics, death certificates are generated directly through institutional data shared with the MCD. For other cases, applications are made with funeral slips. The MCD official added that a committee is being formed to review the process and identify gaps in verification.
“This looks like a one-in-a-million case, but we are looking at how to make the process more secure. It remains to be seen under what circumstances these signatures were made. We will write to the central government accordingly,” the official said.
