A residence certificate was recently issued in rural Patna in favour of one four-legged 'dog babu', born to parents with similar canine nomenclature, prompting a red-faced administration to lodge a first information report (FIR) against all persons concerned.
The certificate of residence was issued last week in Masaurhi circle, falling under the eponymous sub-division, apparently as part of a scramble for such documents during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.
Under the Bihar Right to Public Service Act, citizens can apply for a certificate of residence online and the same would be issued by the officials concerned after due verification.
Screenshots of the certificate, carrying a photograph of 'Dog babu', a stray canine, with parents named 'kutta babu' and 'kutiya devi', have gone viral on social media, with many people taking the opportunity to question why, instead of allowing such madness, the Election Commission was not accepting Aadhaar cards and ration cards, as suggested by the Supreme Court recently.
The district administration on Monday came out with a statement that the certificate, dated July 24, 'was cancelled as soon as the matter came to light'.
'Besides, an FIR has been lodged at the local police station against the applicant, the computer operator who fed the information into the system and the official who went on to issue the certificate'.
It added, 'The sub-divisional officer of Masaurhi conducted a detailed investigation and it was found that the application was made appending the Aadhaar card of a woman living in Delhi.'
As such, the services of the computer operator, who forwarded the online application for processing without an application of mind, have been terminated, the district administration said.
A recommendation has been made to the revenue and land reforms department for suspending the official who went on to issue the certificate despite the obvious anomalies in the application, it added.