Declared Dead On Paper, Karnataka Man Walks To IAS Officer To Plead He's 'Alive'

During the process at the revenue inspector’s office in Hindalga, a computer operator mistakenly entered Ganapati’s Aadhaar number instead of his grandfather’s.

Representational Image | A villager in Karnataka sought help after his death certificate was mistakenly issued when his Aadhaar number was entered instead of his grandfather's.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

In a surprising turn of events on Monday in Karnataka, Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan received an unusual visitor – a villager from Savgaon who, armed with his death certificate, sought help to prove he was alive.

As per the report by Indian Express, the 62-year-old man identified as Ganapati Kakatkar, turned to the IAS officer in a desperate attempt to correct a clerical error that had left him without his Aadhaar card, access to his bank account, and several government benefits.

Ganapati’s troubles began when he and his brothers applied for a succession certificate to claim their share of six acres and 23 guntas of land left by their grandfather, Masanu Shattu Kakatkar, who passed away on February 2, 1976. Although Masanu had divided most of his land among his three sons, this portion remained in his name and was not transferred after his death.

As three sons of Masanu also passed away, the property was left to his eight grandsons, including Ganapati. Two years ago, the grandsons sought to transfer the land to their names, but delays took place due to the lack of their grandfather’s death certificate. A local court eventually ordered its issuance.

Incorrect Aadhaar Entry

However, during the process at the revenue inspector’s office in Hindalga, a computer operator mistakenly entered Ganapati’s Aadhaar number instead of his grandfather’s. This error led to Ganapati being officially declared deceased, locking his Aadhaar card and removing his name from the family ration card.

Despite discovering the error on August 3, 2023, Ganapati repeatedly visited multiple local offices, including the tahsildar’s, but no action was taken. In June 2024, Ganapati found that mistakes occurred due to incorrect Aadhaar entries. “My Aadhaar number had been wrongly entered instead of my grandfather’s,” Indian Express quoted Ganapati as saying. “Despite telling them, the officials did not act,” he added.

On Monday, Ganapati, accompanied by family members and an advocate, met Roshan, who assured him the error would be corrected and instructed the assistant commissioner to resolve the matter.