SIR detects brothers just 5 years younger than their ‘father’

On the eve of the draft electoral rolls being issued, scrutiny of ‘logical errors’ during the Special Intensive Revision has exposed how two Bangladeshi brothers managed to create a duplicate father in Mongalkote, East Burdwan, to secure their names on the voter list 19 years ago.

Brothers Lakhhiram Majhi (59) and Sagar Majhi (58), originally from Dharampur village in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, entered Bengal in 2000 to work as labourers in Murshidabad. They later moved to Mongalkote in Katwa in 2006, where they worked as daily-wage labourers at the home of Saroj Majhi of Shitalgram village.

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Saroj, now 63, was astonishingly listed as the brothers’ father in their enumeration forms, a claim that stunned officials. Anirban Basu, SDM of Katwa, said: “It was shortlisted as a case of logical error during scrutiny of the forms. After 16 December, the brothers will be summoned for a hearing to submit valid papers to justify their claims.”

At his Shitalgram residence today, Saroj denied any blood relation with Lakhhiram and Sagar. He said: “They worked as my hired labourers years ago. I had no idea how they put my name as their father. I am just four years older than Lakhhiram. How could I be his father? It’s ridiculous!” He added: “I have two sons, Sujit and Anup Majhi, both in their forties.”

Lakhhiram, meanwhile, admitted that he and his brother had crossed into Bengal seeking work. He told The Statesman: “Due to financial constraints, we moved to West Bengal and gradually settled in Mongalkote. Saroj’s family gave us shelter and during the 2002 revisions we put Saroj’s name as our father. No one objected.”

Their names were subsequently enrolled as voters of Booth No. 175 in Mongalkote. Their biological father, Rampada Majhi, died in Rajshahi.