Police in Siraha have arrested a man on the charge of faking as a father to help an Indian national obtain Nepali citizenship.

Superintendent of Police Ramesh Pandit, chief of the District Police Office, Siraha, said Amanat Miya of ward 3 in Naraha Rural Municipality was arrested from his home on Tuesday evening.

“We are conducting a thorough investigation and will take action against all those involved,” Pandit said.

On July 11, 2023, the District Administration Office, Siraha, issued Nepali citizenship to Indian national Mostak Miya based on a recommendation from the ward office. Amanat Miya and his wife, Rajina Khatun, had pretended to be his parents.

Ward chair Rustam Ansari and ward secretary Ramdev Mandal had recommended the citizenship. It has been alleged that they and district administration officials took a bribe of IRs200,000 to facilitate the process. Complaints have been filed with the Siraha District Administration Office, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, and the Home Ministry.

The issue was raised in Parliament after Kantipur Daily, the Post’s sister publication, reported that no action had been taken. Lawmaker Raj Kishor Yadav accused the ruling UML of protecting the ward chair.