Nepal resident gets Indian citizenship violating rules

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, December 13

The panchayat secretary of Bhattoo Panjala panchyat has granted citizenship to a Nepalese woman in Baijnath block of Kangra district in gross violation of rules.

According to information, the panchayat secretary of Bhattoo Panjala panchayat entered the name of one Nepalese woman in the ‘Parivar Register’ of the panchayat showing her as the wife of a local resident.

Later, the woman managed to get ration card, voter card, Aadhaar card and MGNREGA card from the panchyat. However, while entering her name in the panchayat records and the ‘Parivar Register’, no supporting documents were furnished which are mandatory as per law.

Baijnath’s Block Development Officer Kulwant Singh said following complaints by villagers, he inspected the panchayat records but could not find any supporting document required for granting the Indian citizenship.

He said during investigation it was found that the person to whom the woman was shown married was already married and his first wife was alive. “Second marriage during the subsistence of the first marriage, is illegal in India and the relationship arising from the same does not have any validity and second wives in India have little protection under the law,” he added. However, in this case, there was no legal evidence of the second marriage also.

He categorically stated that the action of panchayat secretary was illegal and the same is punishable under Section 494 and 495 of the IPC. However, the only option available to the second wife was to get the first marriage annulled under Section 11 read with Section 5(1) of the Hindu Marriage Act and then only she could be eligible for the Indian citizenship.

The BDO said he had already informed the higher authorities in this regard seeking action against the panchayat secretary.