Balangir, Aug. 10: Seven persons were arrested for submitting fake certificates to claim benefits meant for tribal people.
Six persons — Gopabandhu Meher and Subhanath Bhoi from Tusura, Pandaru Parabhue, Tularam Dharua and Nilamani Dharua from Kantabanjhi and Kuni Mallick from Saintala — were arrested today, Kulamani Sahu of Nuapada village was arrested yesterday. They all have been produced in court.
Gopabandhu of Sibatola village has been accused of changing the name of his son Mrutyunjaya Meher to Mrutyunjaya Bhoi and managed to obtain a caste certificate citing one Subhanath Bhoi of the same village as his father. Mrutyunjaya is studying engineering in a Bhubaneswar college availing tribal quota.
The Zilla Adivasi Kalyan Sangh made a complaint against Mrutyunjaya with the district collector in 2008. The state-level scrutiny committee had also found him guilty of availing tribal quota with the help of fake caste certificate and asked the district administration to take action against him. Moreover, Pandaru, Tularam and Nilamani, who all belong to other backward classes, have been accused of obtaining fake caste certificates after changing their names. All of them were availing benefits meant for tribals.
Kuni was working with the Government Girls’ High School (SC and ST development) in Saintala.
Kulamani Sahu became Kulamani Kahar by virtue of a caste certificate showing him as a Gond tribal. Kulamani was working as a sikshya sahayak by availing tribal quota.
The persons were arrested after district welfare officer of Balangir Amiya Mohanty lodged a complaint against the fake tribals with different police stations in the district.
Nilamani’s son Girish Bhoi and Mrutyunjaya are absconding.
Deputy superintendent of police of Balangir Niranjan Mishra said: “We have arrested seven persons while two other are absconding. The police have registered cases against them under sections 468, 471, 420 and 419 (B) of the Indian Penal Code. They all were all remanded in judi cial custody after their bail was rejected.”
