Just days after a residential certificate was controversially issued in Patna for a pet dog named “Dog Babu,” a fresh incident has surfaced in Bihar’s Nawada district.
Authorities say another application was filed this time in the name of “Dogesh Babu” along with a photo of a dog, prompting the district administration to initiate legal action, reported news agency ANI.
The Nawada District Magistrate (DM) Ravi Prakash has taken the matter seriously and ordered the local police to file an FIR and carry out a full investigation into the misuse of the RTPS (Right to Public Service) portal.
Reacting to the incident, Prakash wrote on social media: “Copycats… or rather copy dogs, were caught trying to apply for a residence certificate from Sirdala, Rajauli. FIR is being registered for lame and stale attempt at humour.”
He added, “Such tampering with administrative processes is not acceptable under any circumstances. Action will be taken against the culprits.”
Online request for pet certificate
According to officials, the Nawada application was submitted online at the RTPS office in Sirdala block, requesting a residence certificate for Dogesh Babu. The details listed included:
Father’s name: Dogesh’s Papa
Mother’s name: Dogesh’s Mami
Village: Kharondh
Ward number: 11
Post: Sherpur
Block and Zone: Sherpur, Sirdala
District: Nawada
The photo attached was of a pet dog, and the gender was marked male.
Sirdala Zone Officer Abhinav Raj confirmed the incident and has since filed an FIR under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the IT Act, including: Section 319(2): Fraud, Section 340(1) and (2): Fraudulent use of electronic records, Section 241: Forgery, and Section 66D of the IT Act, 2000: Impersonation using computer resources.
Fallout from earlier ‘Dog Babu’ case in Patna continues
The latest prank follows a similar case in Patna’s Masaurhi zone office where a valid residential certificate was issued in the name of a dog. That incident went viral on social media and sparked widespread criticism of Bihar’s administrative oversight.
On Tuesday, Patna District Magistrate Thiyagarajan visited the Masaurhi Block-cum-Circle Office along with other top officials to probe how the certificate for “Dog Babu” was issued.
The DM said, “The certificate was issued on the basis of forged documents, and was not an inadvertent mistake but a deliberate attempt to defame the state government and district administration.”
These repeated incidents have raised concerns about the integrity of the RTPS system and the ease with which it can be misused. However, officials said the certificate in Patna was revoked, and disciplinary action is being considered against those responsible.