The Parsa District Court has slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on former state minister for agriculture Karima Begum for making a recommendation to grant Nepali citizenship to an Indian national. Begum, who is active in Madhes politics and is currently the Central Committee member of Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum Nepal, had allegedly urged the local administration to grant Nepali citizenship to one Ram Kumari Devi of Sugaha, Bihar of India. Begum’s signature has been found on the documents recommending citizenship for Ram Kumari issued on April 1, 2007, from Harpatgunj-6, Parsa.

The court also ordered the district administration to annul the citizenship certificate procured through forgery. It has also imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 on the defendant, Chanardev Yadav, and 20,000 each to seven others, including Karima Begum. It has been learnt that the defendant's Ram Kumari, Jaleshwor Yadav, Binaya Yadav and Krishna Yadav have been absconding. Although Ram Kumari is a daughter of Nepali parents, she was married off to Jaleshwor Yadav of Bihar, India, some 15 years ago. She has even obtained identity card and voter’s card from Bihar state government of India. Her father Charandev Yadav had applied for her Nepali citizenship certificate presenting her as unmarried. For that, former state minister Karima Begum had signed the documents. Nepal Citizenship Act has the provision for six to three years in jail or fine of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 or both to the guilty recommending or signing the forged documents of the foreigner in order to obtain Nepali citizenship certificate for them.