An internal probe conducted by the District Administration Office (DAO), Kaski has found involvement of Under Secretary Surya Prasad Kafle, section officer Pushpa Raj Poudel and non-gazetted officer Rama Kanta Dhakal in the case. [break]
Kafle and Poudel had signed five Nepali citizenship certificates by approving fake documents. Non-gazetted officer Dhakal had also helped Kafle and Poudel. Following the arrests of Pema Dhandul Gurung, 17, and Lhwamu Chhiring Gurung, 19, by police in Pokhara, the Kaski DAO had sought clarifications from Kafle, Poudel and Dhakal.
Three others who had also obtained fake citizenship certificate are absconding.
Assistant Chief District Officer (CDO) Ishwor Raj Regmi has concluded that the trio had “ill-intentions”. Regmi has also recommended departmental action against the trio in his report submitted to CDO Chetnath Bhattarai on Friday, say DAO sources.
In their clarification letters, the trio has argued that they issued the citizenship certificates as CDO Bhattarai and assistant CDO Regmi were not in the office on April 17. However, according to DAO sources, assistant CDO Regmi has claimed that both of them were present in the office that day. He has also claimed that the trio did not forward the files to CDO Bhattarai.
When contacted, Regmi said, "It appears that they approved the applications in a hurry."
Pema and Lhwamu, who said they originally hailed from Mustang, had applied for Nepali citizenships by producing fake migration certificates. They had claimed to have migrated to Kaski from Mustang. Diki Dolkar Gurung, Yangchen Gurung and Rinjin Wangdi Gurung had also obtained fake citizenships apart from Pema and Lhwamu.
They had applied for citizenships by claiming to be wife and children of one Wungchun Tempa Gurung, who currently lives in the US.
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