The state of Bihar is grappling with another case of bureaucratic absurdity. This time, the focus is on a residence certificate application from Motihari district, where a fraudulent attempt was made using the name of ‘Sonalika Tractor,’ a well-known tractor brand. This follows a prior incident in Patna where a certificate was issued in a dog’s name.
The fraudulent application was filled with fabricated details, listing ‘Swaraj Tractor’ as the father and ‘Kar Devi’ as the mother. An unexpected element was the inclusion of a picture of Bhojpuri actress Monalisa. The application also provided false information, including the Chhauradano police station, Motihari Sadar sub-division, and a partially disclosed mobile number.
Upon discovering the fraud, Motihari’s Superintendent of Police, Swarn Prabhat, instructed the Kotwa police station to file a First Information Report (FIR) and arrest those responsible. Authorities are investigating the cyber cafe from which the application was initiated, and further action may be taken against it.
Official procedures for residence certificate applications entail on-site verification of addresses. The fact that this fraud was caught before a certificate was issued is a positive, yet it underscores the need for improved oversight in the online system. The incident also raises questions about whether the responsible employees will face any consequences.