Bihar SIR side effect: 'Dead' woman found alive and kicking

Patna: The Supreme Court, during its hearing on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar on July 28, told the aggrieved petitioners’ lawyers that “bring 15 such persons who have been declared dead by the Election Commission, but are actually alive. We will strike down the entire SIR exercise.”

While no such lists of 15 persons ever cropped up. Rather, in an interesting twist of tale, a woman who was declared dead by her husband, and her death certificate too procured from the Bihar Government, was found to be alive and kicking.

This came to the fore when the booth level officer (BLO) went to the house of one Shivranjan Kumar at Dhanarua in rural Patna.

Shivranajan, a government employee, had already declared his wife Nisha Kumari dead and procured her death certificate too on May 5 this year. This despite the fact that Nisha was alive, although a marital dispute was going on between Shivranjan and Nisha for long.

It was precisely due to this marital discord that Shivranjan was not in favour that his wife should get the pension benefits after his death. So, in connivance with the local Mukhiya, Panchayat Secretary and the Anganwadi Sevika, he procured a death certificate of his wife in May this year.

The matter came to light when the BLO reached Shivranjan’s house for voters’ list revision and update of names last month during the SIR exercise. Nisha, who was alive and smelt a rat, filed an application under Right To Information (RTI) Act wherein the handiwork of her husband came to fore.

“We have issued notices to the Mukhiya, Panchayat Secretary, Aanganwadi Sevika and four other witnesses on the basis of whose account a death certificate was issued by the State Government for a person who is actually alive. Once we receive their reply, strong action will be taken against all those involved in this faux pas,” said the Block Development Officer (BDO) Seema Kumari.