Row erupts in Darbhanga over dual citizenship

Patna: A controversy has erupted in Darbhanga's Kewati block over allegations that Musarrat Khatoon, a public distribution system (PDS) dealer in Kothia panchayat, holds dual citizenship of India and Nepal. The complaint, filed by ward member Jitendra Prasad, claims that Khatoon has been operating her PDS shop despite holding citizenship in both countries.This is not the first such case in the area. In Feb last year, Jitendra filed a similar complaint against the former mukhiya (village head) of Kothia panchayat, Saba Parveen, who was later removed from her position after an investigation confirmed the allegations. Jitendra has also claimed that several other people in the village hold dual citizenship.Jitendra said, "Khatoon has voter IDs from two countries. Her name is Musarrat Parveen in Nepal, while in India, it is Musarrat Khatoon. Over 2,000 people buy food grains from her shop, which has been operating since 2018."On Dec 27, 2024, Jitendra submitted a written complaint to the marketing officer, the block development officer, and Darbhanga District Magistrate Rajeev Roshan. The authorities were asked to present documents and evidence by Jan 24 with a two-week period for submission.Sadar sub-divisional officer Vikas Kumar said that Jitendra provided supporting documents while Khatoon requested an additional two weeks to submit hers.