Bela Devi. Picture by Mukesh Kumar Jha

The state election commission has directed the Darbhanga district administration to cancel the nomination of Bela Devi, the sitting councillor of ward number 20, and institute a case against her for submitting a forged caste certificate to contest the 2007 civic polls.

The commission also directed the district administration to lodge an FIR against a clerk and an officer who had facilitated the forged caste certificate to Bela. She had filed nomination in the 2007 civic polls against a reserved seat for the most backward castes and had won it too.

Acting on a complaint filed by an advocate Mohammad Jayaullah Ansari, the commission issued the directive. Ansari had challenged the caste document produced by Bela, claiming that she comes from the Kurmi caste (backward caste) but she had produced the caste certificate of Dhanuk (most backward caste).

Additional district magistrate-cum-returning officer Dinesh Kumar said: “The state election commission has directed us to cancel the nomination of a candidate, Bela Devi, from ward number 20 and register a case against her. She has been accused of producing forged caste related document while filing her nomination during the 2007 civic polls.”

Kumar said: “According to the direction of the commission, we are preparing a letter to be served on Bela today in accordance with the direction given by the state election commission on May 11. According to the order, we are also preparing to lodge an FIR against the clerk and the officer concerned who had facilitated the forged caste certificate to Bela.”

Till the filing of the report, Bela had not received any communiqué from the administration.

“Bela has not received any notice from the district administration so far regarding the cancellation of her nomination for councillor from the ward number 20. Her election campaign is on. After learning from reliable sources that her nomination has been cancelled, she has gone to the state capital to file a case in the high court challenging the order of the state election commission,” Bela’s husband, Gaurishankar, told The Telegraph.

Gaurishankar said: “My wife has served the past term as the councillor of ward number 20. This ward is reserved for the candidates belonging to most backward castes. Is it not bizarre that the Darbhanga district administration claims that she does not belong to most backward castes? It claims that she is from the Kurmi caste while we are from the Dhanuk caste. How can the Darbhanga district administration decide if she is Kurmi or Dhanuk while Bela comes from Chauri village of Pandaul block in Madhubani. It is only the Madhubani district administration that can claim and verify whether she is a Kurmi or a Dhanuk.”

District externs 48

The Muzaffarpur district administration has decided to extern 48 residents on May 17 — the day of the municipal elections — to ensure they do not influence voters.

The 48 identified persons could pose law and order problems on the polling day, said sources. The police would serve notices on the persons concerned in a day or two. They would be directed to leave the district on the day of election.

If they are found loitering in the town, they would be sent to jail, said the senior superintendent of police, Rajesh Kumar. He had sought details of such persons from the police stations concerned.

The district administration has also completed the necessary formalities to conduct peaceful and fair elections according to the directives of the state election commission.

Deputy development commissioner Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, who is officiating as the district magistrate of Muzaffarpur, said he had directed polling personnel to not to indulge in nepotism or favouritism while discharging their election duties.