KATHMANDU, Aug 7: The government has decided to grill the district administration offices (DAOs) in the southern plains which share a border with India after eight Indians were found to have obtained Nepali citizenship by submitting forged documents.
According to officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs, tarai districts including Dhanusha, Saptari, Mahottari and Rautahat are under its scanner.
The move comes after eight Indians were found to have obtained Nepali citizenship certificates by producing fake documents and bribing government officials in the districts bordering India.
“It seems that Indians are obtaining Nepali citizenship since a long time. So, we are initiating an investigation against those who recommended for citizenship to the wrong people and the officials involved in issuing those citizenship certificates,” said Home Ministry Spokesperson Ram Krishna Subedi.
Indian arrested with fake citizenship, DAO under scanner
Spokesperson Subedi said all DAOs under suspicion will be asked to carry out investigation against the bureaucrats involved in issuing citizenship to Indians and report to the ministry.
On Monday, the government had revoked the citizenship of eight Indians. Indian nationals Ashok Shah, Binde Mahato, Dhana Devi Mahato, Sosil Mahato, Rajendra Mahato, Rajeshwar Mahato, Ram Kishor Mahato and Raj Kumar Mahato had obtained Nepali citizenship through illegal means.
According to details provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Binde and Rajendra had obtained citizenship in 2044 BS, Rajeshwar and Dhana Devi in 2035, Ram Kishor in 2053 and Sosil in 2058 whereas Raj Kumar had obtained citizenship in 2061.
This is not the first time that the government has revoked the Nepali citizenship of Indian nationals.
Earlier, Indian nationals Jiban Kumar Singh, Dharmendra Thakur, Ajaya Kumar Thakur, Yamuna Singh and Kripali Singh were found to have obtained Nepali citizenship by producing fake documents.
Jiban had obtained citizenship from Saptari, Dharmendra and Ajaya from Dhanusha whereas Yamuna and Kripali had obtained citizenship from Rautahat.
The ministry has already revoked over 300 citizenship cards in the last 10 years after it was found that Indians had obtained them by producing fake documents.
The investigation, according to Subedi, will be expedited once the cabinet approves the decision to this effect.
“Investigation will gain momentum once the cabinet approves the proposal. Both the bureaucrats involved in issuing the fake citizenship and those obtaining it will be held accountable for breaching the law,” said Subedi.
Issuing citizenship to undeserving people is punishable according to the law.
