One Baur Pasi of Pahadipur, Heerminiya-2 had managed to acquire a Nepali citizenship for his son-in-law, Ramesh Pasi, an Indian national, by falsifying legal documents to identify the latter as his son on March 20.

Likewise, locals Mangal Murau, Sampat, Cheda and Dharmendra Kori had aided Pasi in acquiring the citizenship by signing themselves as guarantors and stating that Ramesh was indeed Pasi’s son. The incident had come to light when the six were celebrating their success in getting Pasi the citizenship on Tuesday night.

The locals had informed the police after overhearing them brag about how they were able to dupe the local administration in the matter.

Following the tip off, a team of police led by Sub-Inspector of Police Narayan Prasad Sharma of Heerminiya Police had reached the site

and arrested them on Tuesday night and handed them over to the District Police Office (DPO).

While Deputy Superintendent of Police and spokesperson Sushil Singh Rathaur of DPO, Banke said that they had handed over the six arrested to the District Administration Office (DAO) for further investigation, locals claimed that some middlemen have already taken Rs 200,000 from Baur’s family by assuring them that they will “settle” the case.

“We have been interrogating the arrested, but I have no knowledge whatsoever about the middlemen or the amount taken by them to settle the case,” said Chief District Officer Bed Prasad Lekhak of DAO, Banke.

Although, the four who had agreed to become guarantors, have claimed that they had helped Baur Pasi’s son-in-law to secure the Nepali citizenship certificate due to ignorance about legalities, locals alleged that they had agreed to the crime in lure of a good food and alcohol.

Meanwhile, after being caught up in a legal soup, VDC secretary Rishiram Gautam who had granted the recommendation letter on the basis of a deed of inquiry presented by the locals, has lodged a complaint at the DAO to render the certificate void.

Last year, four people were arrested for helping Indian nationals acquire Nepali citizenship certificate. Meanwhile, 55 cases of fake citizenship certificates have been lodged at the DAO so far.