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4 booked for incorrect death record, official suspended in Karnataka
A village accountant in Belagavi was suspended after falsely registering a living farmer as dead, leading to wrongful issuance of a death certificate.
The Belagavi deputy commissioner on Wednesday suspended a village accountant, a day after the Lokayukta registered a case against four government officials for allegedly creating and certifying a false death record of a farmer who is still alive.
Belagavi deputy commissioner Mohammed Roshan on Wednesday suspended village accountant Neela Muragod who allegedly registered a farmer, Irappa Nagappa Abbai, as dead in the government records that led other senior officers to issue a letter to grant a death certificate.
The 53-year-old farmer from Sutagatti village in Savadatti taluk, was officially declared dead in 2021 in government records, even as he remained alive. Based on these entries, a death certificate was also issued in his name, resulting in him being deprived of benefits under various government welfare schemes he was legally entitled to.
According to a statement issued by Upa (deputy) Lokayukta justice Veerappa, the case was registered on Tuesday after media reports highlighted the lapse. The complaint has been filed against Neela Muragod, village accountant, Sutagatti; RS Patil, revenue inspector, Muragod Circle; Mallikarjun Heggannavar, tahsildar, Savadatti and Praveen Jain, sub-divisional officer, Bailhongal. “We have registered a suo motu cognisance case against the officials after their erring was proved true,” justice Veerappa said.
The Lokayukta has initiated an inquiry into the matter to determine responsibility for the administrative failure.
Justice Veerappa said that the suspension of Neela Muragod from the services would have no impact on the case against her.
