Redrawing a state border via a viral PDF is apparently not outlandish enough to be immediately dismissed as fake. Sikkim required an FIR and a PIB Fact Check to confirm it.
On May 22, 2026, a forged document bearing Home Minister Amit Shah's signature began circulating online, claiming the Union Ministry of Home Affairs was initiating a 'preliminary review' to merge Darjeeling Hills, Kalimpong, Terai, and Dooars with Sikkim — inviting both states to bilateral discussions. The letter included a date (May 10), formal MHA letterhead, and enough procedural language to trigger a cascade of political statements, party denials, and angry press conferences before anyone ran a basic verification. The Sikkim government filed an FIR at Sadar Police Station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act. PIB Fact Check issued a categorical denial. A CID cyber investigation was launched. No border merger is underway. The letter's author remains unknown. The political energy spent denouncing a PDF was entirely real.