RAJBIRAJ, Sept 3: Police have arrested yet another Indian businessman in Saptari on the charge of obtaining a fake Nepali citizenship. Three Indians have been arrested by police in the last five months in the district for possessing fake citizenship certificates.

Police investigation has revealed that two of the arrested have taken three copies of citizenship from the District Administration Office (DAO), Saptari. But the DAO does not have record of issuing the certificates to any of them. It is surprising that the DAO has no record of these people obtaining citizenship but the copies of the confiscated citizenship certificates bear the signature of the DAO officials. 

Recently, Saptari police in coordination with Itahari Police arrested an Indian businessman, Kedar Gupta, who had obtained a Nepali citizenship bearing the name of Ravi Rauniyar from Malekpur VDC-7. His citizenship was issued on February 9, 2015. As mentioned in the citizenship, his father’s name is Jamun Rauniyar.

“As the DAO lacks records of issuing citizenship to them, we are investigating the case,” said Rajendra Bista, chief of Saptari police.

Gupta’s Nepali citizenship has the signature of Janak Koirala, administrative officer of DAO, Saptari. Likewise, police have also arrested Surendra Yadav of Chinnamasta Rural Municipality on the charge of assisting the accused in obtaining the fake citizenship.

Earlier this year on April 7, police had arrested Indian businessman Satish Agrawal in a similar case. He had obtained a fake citizenship on June 29, 1995. Though the DAO has no record of him taking citizenship, police investigation shows him taking a copy of his citizenship on March 20, 2007 and again on December 11, 2007. 

The DAO also lacks record of the citizenship provided to Satish’s wife Monica, who is at large. Monica has been using citizenship certificate with registration number 161030/113. In the citizenship, her name is Khatum Miya, the wife of Mohammad Miya of Chinnamasta-2.

Following the revelations, civil society leader Sukharam Yadav said it is obvious for the people to question the integrity of the officials. Police have also arrested administrative officer Janak Koirala and then non-gazetted staff Bhagwan Dahal in Satish Agrawal case.

In the last week of May, police arrested Binit Dev of Inarwa on the charge of obtaining proxy citizenship. After a dispute, his neighbor had warned him of filing a complaint against him for attaining a fake citizenship, after which he himself reached the DAO to relinquish his citizenship. 

Dev’s citizenship bears the signature of the then assistant chief district officer, Durga Prasad Bhandari but the DAO does not have any record of issuing the certificate. 

 
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