JCB books Sarpanch, others for producing fake category certificate to contest Panchayat election

Jammu: The sleuths of Jammu Crime Branch on Tuesday booked Sarpanch and others for producing fake backward category certificate to contest Panchayat elections.
Crime Branch spokesman said a criminal case has been registered under the relevant sections of law against suspects Sarpanch Santosh Kumari, Bidhi Chand, resident of village Bhajnova, Tehsil Nowshera, District Rajouri, Akbar Hussain the then Tehsildar Nowshera and Balvinder Kumar, the then Patwari Nowshera for their involvement in obtaining and facilitating Scheduled Caste Category Certificate by fraudulent means and its use by the beneficiary as genuine during the Panchayat Election of Sarpanch in Panchayat Halqa Bhajnow Nowhshera, district Rajouri.
He said a written complaint was lodged by Joginder Singh of Bhajnowa with Crime Branch Jammu, alleging inter-alia that his wife Sheetal Kour, resident of village Bhajnowa had contested election as Sarpanch Candidate in a reserve category (SC) Constituency against a lady namely Santosh Kumari of Bhajnowa who was having a false and forged category certificate on the basis of which she won the election as a Sarpanch, whereas she belong to Vashisht Rajput community as per the revenue record of her husband and her parents.
“On receipt of a complaint, preliminary verification was conducted and during the course of probe revenue records were obtained from the concerned authorities and it has been prima-facie established that the Certificate has been managed by the accused beneficiary in connivance with other co-accused persons viz Govt. officers/official,” he said.
A case is registered in Police Station Crime Branch, Jammu against the accused persons and others for in-depth investigation.