The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against six individuals, including the mayor of Birgunj Metropolitan City, on charges of obtaining citizenship by submitting false details.
On Monday, the CIAA filed a corruption case at the Special Court against Birgunj Mayor Rajesh Man Singh and five others, accusing them of issuing citizenship by falsely presenting another person’s daughter as the mayor’s own daughter.
According to CIAA spokesperson Suresh Neupane, Mayor Singh is accused of playing a key role in helping another woman’s daughter obtain a citizenship certificate by presenting the girl as his own daughter through a false birth registration certificate.
Investigations revealed that Singh colluded with Bhikhari Ray, then-ward secretary of Birgunj Ward No. 3; Taufail Atiyar Thakurai, then-ward member and acting ward chairman; and Shad Kumar Pokharel, then-administrative officer at the District Administration Office (DAO), Parsa, to create false documents.
A birth certificate was found to have been created based on false information on November 6, 2014. Based on that document, a citizenship certificate was issued by the District Administration Office, Parsa, on July 29, 2018, the CIAA stated.
According to the CIAA, government documents were altered or concealed in an unauthorized manner, and false records were prepared during the process of issuing the birth registration and citizenship certificates.
Furthermore, the CIAA has accused Under Secretary Pushkar Rana, then-coordinator of the investigation committee formed by the Home Ministry, and Section Officer Parshuram Pokharel, then-committee member, of concealing facts related to the case and submitting a false report.
The commission asserts that they prepared a misleading report with the intent to cover up the seriousness of the offense and the necessity for an investigation.
The CIAA has sought imprisonment and fines for Bhikhari Ray, Taufail Atiyar Thakurai, and Shad Kumar Pokharel under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002. Similar penalties have been sought for Pushkar Rana and Parshuram Pokharel.
Meanwhile, Mayor Singh and Rita Bhattarai have been charged as accomplices under Section 22 of the Prevention of Corruption Act for aiding the principal offender and facilitating the attainment of illegal benefits, the CIAA said.
