New Delhi: Allegations of corruption have been made against a sub divisional magistrate (SDM) in the national capital, as the family of a deceased man claimed that they got his caste certificate made by shelling out Rs 20,000.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Ashwani Bagri, a local Congress leader, alleged that the Model Town SDM Vineet Kumar's office had become a hub of corruption, and it was to expose such malpractices that he sent a person to get the caste certificate made for a dead man.
"We had found that COVID-19 relief material was being sold, and bribes were being taken to issue passes and certificates at the Model Town SDM's office. We then sent a person whose relative had died two years back and check whether he could get a caste certificate made," Bagri said.
Billu Bagri, whose relative Sanjeev Kumar had passed away two years back, said that he went to the tehsildar to get the certificate made.
"I said the person was not currently in Delhi, but I needed to get his caste certificate made. They did not ask me for any documents. I just submitted one picture and a copy of the Aadhaar card," Billu said.
"The deal was made for Rs 20,000. I gave Rs 10,000 up front, and Rs 10,000 after the job was done," he added.
Pertinently, for a caste certificate to be issued, along with the Aadhaar card of the person, the already existing caste-certificate of a family member is also to be submitted.
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The Congress leader said that messages were then sent to the SDM, Tehsildar, and even the DM, following which the certificate which was issued, got immediately cancelled.
"We told them that even a dead person can get certificates here. Within an hour the certificate was cancelled," Bagri said.
The Congress leader further said that they had already written a letter to the Lieutenant-Governor, and a copy would also be sent to the Anti Corruption Bureau.
"If a case is not registered and these corrupt officials are not arrested, we will take to the streets to protest," said Bagri.
Meanwhile, when the DM (North) Shinde Deepak Arjun was contacted on the phone over the issue, he said that the application for the caste certificate was submitted online, along with all relevant documents. Since going door to door and conducting physical verification was not possible during coronavirus times, the certificate was made, he said.
The DM added that the certificate has been cancelled, and assured that an FIR would be filed against those responsible for getting the certificate made using fake documents.
