Balurghat, Nov. 9 -- An eight-year-old girl's birth certificate has allegedly become the source of financial distress for her differently-abled tribal mother, who claims she was cheated of Rs 6,000 on the promise of obtaining the document. The woman, Hupni Soren, has also alleged that she was threatened when she demanded her money back.
A resident of Balurghat block's Madhabpara under Danga Gram Panchayat, Hupni approached Balurghat Police Station on Sunday night. According to her complaint, her daughter was born at home and consequently had no birth certificate. After failing to obtain one despite approaching several places, she contacted local resident Firoz Mondal in 2024. He allegedly promised to arrange the certificate for Rs 6,000. Despite financial hardship, she paid him the amount on August 10 that year.
Recently, when she approached the Gram Panchayat and an Aadhaar centre to digitise the document, she was informed that the certificate was invalid. "When I asked for my money back, he threatened me. I was left with no option but to approach the police," Hupni alleged. Her husband had left her several years ago, and she now supports herself and her daughter.
In a separate complaint filed on Saturday, Hili resident Ratan Pal accused Firoz of taking Rs 20,000 in six instalments over a month without correcting errors in his cousin's birth certificate. "He keeps assuring us over the phone but has not completed the work. We want our money back," Ratan said.
Firoz has denied both allegations, claiming they are false and baseless. He maintained that he had helped Hupni resolve an Aadhaar-related issue but had not undertaken her daughter's birth certificate work. Police have initiated an investigation into the complaints.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.