Healthy life for certificate stealer, depression for real owner
Source: Chronicle News Service

Thoubal, June 06 2021: In what could be described as a rare and unbelievable incident, bereaved family of a deceased man who joined Border Security Force (BSF) through stolen matriculation certificate has been drawing the pension benefit till date and enjoying healthy life while the real owner of the certificate remains not only unemployed but still unable to get any welfare schemes of the government as he is supposedly dead.

The incident came to light when the man who joined BSF general constable through the stolen matriculation certificate was declared dead in a bomb blast in Andhra Pradesh and the genuine owner of the document came to know that his matriculation certificate lost from his own reading room was utilised by someone else to get government job (BSF).

The deceased man (BSF) has been identified as Thongram Angou of Tekcham Mayai Leikai, Thoubal and he joined BSF (constable) in 1983 as constable.

Unfortunately, Angou died during an IED explosion on August 29, 1992 in Andhra Pradesh.

Angou joined BSF through the matriculation certificate of Ningombam Kuber (57) of Sapam Mayai Leikai, Thoubal.

Narrating the incident that occurred around 39 years back, Kuber's wife Puinabati told media persons that her husband remains in depression till date ever since the Government of India announced that he was killed in a bomb blast in 1992."Despite being an MA degree holder, my husband suffers from depression when declared dead while still alive and on thinking that he could not get any government job," Puinabati said.

Kuber got married in 2000 and have three daughters.

Kuber followed Christianity and tried to join a missionary job in 2014.When Kuber went to Angou's house in 2014 to ask for his original matriculation certificate, Angou's children lashed out him with strong words and refused to give him the certificate.

Since the incident, Kuber started suffering from depression and most of his properties have been sold out to meet expenses for his treatment and a piece of homestead land remains as his only property now, Puinabati said adding that her family could not get any benefits from the government as Kuber is regarded as a pensioner in government record.

Puinabati further said that Angou's wife has been drawing pension since the incident as also other benefits under government service pension scheme.

"My husband is now bed-ridden with diabetic and both his kidneys have swollen", she said and narrated pains and suffering she is enduring in raising her three children and looking after her ailing husband.

Mention may be made that Puinabati had lodged a complaint to BSF director general on September 11, 2014 against drawing of pension by Thongram Premeshwori in the name of her husband Kuber and demanded action against Premeshwori.

However, the reply of the complaint given by 191 BSF commandant Dr YP Singh on February 22, 2016 said that late Lance Naik N Kuber had mentioned Premeshwori as his nominee in service record and two witnesses from the locality also gave their signatures on the pension paper when conducted verification and thus gave the pension benefit to Premeshwori.

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