From ‘Dog Babu’ to ‘Lord Ram’, ‘Mata Sita’ and ‘Kauwwa’: Bihar’s residence certificate drama hits divine and bizarre highs

Bihar officials have rejected these applications and registered a police case against unidentified persons. (Photo: X/@Bhgawad_Gita)

The process of issuing residence certificates has taken a bizarre turn in Bihar, with authorities now dealing with a series of fake and often outrageous applications. What began with a certificate issued in the name of ‘Dog Babu’ has now escalated to divine figures and even birds.

In the latest case from Khagaria district, officials found online applications for residence certificates submitted under the names of Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, and a crow. The application for ‘Shri Ram’ featured a photo of the deity, listed his father's name as Dashrath, his mother’s name as Kaushalya, and gave Ayodhya as the village, all references from the Ramayana. However, instead of Uttar Pradesh, the district was listed as Khagaria in Bihar. The mobile number attached was a fake one: 9999999999, according to a report by NDTV.

Similarly, another application under the name ‘Srimati Mata Sita’ included a photo of Goddess Sita, with Raja Janak, and Rani Sunaina mentioned as her parents. Her address was again Ayodhya in Khagaria district, and the same dummy phone number was used.

The officials have rejected these applications and registered a police case against unidentified persons. According to their complaint, the fake applications were filed to malign the government's exercise of issuing residence certificates.

In another strange incident at the Khagaria Sadar office, an online application was found in the name of ‘Kauwwa’ (crow). The applicant’s father was listed as Kawwa Singh, and the mother as Maina (Myna) Singh. The form even included a photograph of a crow. This application, submitted in December last year, has also led to a formal complaint.

Earlier, a residence certificate was issued in the name of ‘Dog Babu,’ complete with a smiling photo of a Golden Retriever. Although it was cancelled within minutes, further investigation revealed that the certificate was linked to official documents belonging to a woman from Delhi. Her Aadhaar and other documents had been used without her knowledge, pointing to a data breach or deliberate tampering.

Patna District Magistrate Thiyagarajan called the incident ‘very serious’ and confirmed that an FIR had been filed. "Some mysterious element has made such an attempt. The certificate was issued on July 24 at 3.56 pm and was immediately cancelled within two minutes at 3.58 pm. Whoever is involved in this, whoever has made the recommendation, an FIR is being filed against them, and action is being taken against them," he had said.

In yet another case from East Champaran, officials received an application with a photo of Bhojpuri actor Monalisa. The applicant’s name was listed as ‘Sonalika Tractor,’ with parents named ‘Swaraj Tractor’ and ‘Car Devi.’