Lucknow: Lal Bihari, 60, was alive and breathing when he found out that he was officially dead in government records. For 18 years, from 1976-94, he fought against Uttar Pradesh government in court to prove that he is ‘alive'.
Now, Lal Bihari who has added ‘Mritak' (dead) to his name is demanding compensation of Rs 25 crore from the Uttar Pradesh government. He blames government for this blunder and is fighting a legal battle in Allahabad High Court for compensation.
The Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC will soon pass its verdict whether the ‘living dead' is entitled to compensation by the government or not.
A resident of Amilo village in Azamgarh, Lal Bihari's story dates back to 1975. When he needed a bank loan, he visited revenue office at district headquarters to get a proof of identity where he found out that he was officially dead.
Lal Bihari's father had died when he was very young and his uncle had bribed the government officials to register him as dead to get the ownership of Bihari's ancestral land.
For 18 years, he fought battles on several fronts to prove that he was alive which included kidnapping his nephew and fighting election against former Prime Minister VP Singh.
He won the legal battle to bring him alive in 1994 when the revenue office in Azamgarh registered his name back.
Now, Bihari wants compensation for those 18 years of suffering when he was called ghost and shaitan (Satan) by the people. He filed the case in HC in 2005 and has been fighting since then.
"I've demanded Rs 25 crore from the govt. The govt is responsible as Lekhpal, Kanungo (Revenue inspector), Munshi (clerk), all work for the govt. The govt has to pay compensation,” said Lal Bihari, who was seen on the premises of Lucknow bench of Allahabad HC.
“People made fun of me and called me ghost and shaitan. I know what I have been through. I know how it feels to called dead or ghost while you are alive,” Lal Bihari added with heavy heart.
Bihari knows how it feels to be declared dead that is why he formed an organisation for ‘living dead' called ‘Mritak Sangh'. The members of this organisation are people who have been declared dead in government records despite being alive.
Lal Bihari has even won an IG Noble Prize, parody of Noble Prize for unusual or trivial achievements. In 2003, he was awarded IG Noble Prize for "(1) leading an active life even though he has been declared legally dead; (2) for waging a lively posthumous campaign against bureaucratic inertia and greedy relatives; and (3) for creating the Association of Dead People."
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