Name, address mismatch throws challenges in probe of Jehanabad MP’s arms licence case | Patna News

Gaya: Discrepancies in name and address have thrown challenges in the investigation of issue of arms licence to Jehanabad MP Surendra Yadav.Surendra was booked under Section 25 of the BNS and Section 34 of the Arms Act for allegedly procuring arms licence on the basis of fake addresses.Interestingly, whereas the licence was issued in the name of one Surendra Kumar, son of Bhuneshwar Kumar, resident of Sheoganj village under Sherghati police station area of the district, the case was instituted in the name of Surendra Prasad Yadav, son of Bhuneshwar Prasad Yadav, resident of Chirayatand locality under Rampur police station area of Gaya Town.Asked about the discrepancy, Sherghati SDPO Shailendra Singh said the name-related issue was also being examined.According to Syed Qaiser Sharfuddin, senior lawyer and president of Gaya Bar Association, it is not only a case of address change, it is a case of name change as well. The investigation officer (IO) will have to prove that Surendra Prasad Yadav, a resident of Chirayatand, and Surendra Kumar, resident of Sheoganj village (Sherghati), located nearly 40 km apart, are one and the same person. This is easier said than done, he added.At this stage, it is not clear what identity and address proof were submitted by ‘Surendra Kumar’ at the time of making the application for the arms licence; who verified the said name and address, and who recommended the issuance of a licence in the name of a person who really did not exist? The police officers are reluctant to disclose details on the reason of confidentiality of the exercise.Earlier, Sherghati SHO Ajit Kumar had said it was an old matter and records were not available in the police station.The SHO’s statement makes it clear that though the alleged offence took place many years back, but it was detected just on the eve of the assembly election.The RJD strongman is the most influential party leader of the region in which the RJD-Congress-Left alliance did very well in the 2020 assembly elections, and Surendra’s son Vishwanath is most likely to be the RJD candidate from the Belaganj constituency of Gaya district.Asked about the details, including the year in which the licence was issued at the Sherghati address and the documents submitted by the licence-seeker at the time of application, arms magistrate Nayna Jha said she has joined recently and will have to look into the file concerned.