A 65-year-old Pakistani woman, who had managed to become an interim head of a village panchayat in Jalesar police station area, was arrested on Saturday, police said.
Bano Begum had become the interim head of Gadau village panchayat and was absconding since the registration of an FIR against her in January, Etah’s SSP Sunil Kumar Singh said.
The FIR against Bano Begum had been lodged on the complaints of villagers who had said despite being a Pakistani national, she had contested the village panchayat elections and after the death of the elected panchayat pradhan, she had also become the interim panchayat head.
During the investigation, Police found that Bano Begum was a Pakistan native, who had married one Ashrat Ali of Etah on June 8, 1980. Since her marriage, she had been staying in India by repeatedly extending her long term visa, the SSP said.
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After getting an Aadhaar card, she got elected as a member of the village panchayat in 2015.
“On the complaints of Kuvaida Khan of the same village, it came to light that Bano Begum is living in the village under a long-term visa. She is not a citizen of India, and without being a citizen of India, one cannot contest any election,” said Police.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Jalesar SP Verma said that Bano Begum was the interim village head for six months.
“The documents used in making the ration card and voter ID card are being examined. Her name has been removed from the voter list of the village panchayat. Her name is not on the voter list for Assembly and Lok Sabha polls,” the SDM said.
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