#Iamalive #SantoshMuratSingh has been declared dead by revenue department of Uttar Pradesh Government in 2003-04. His family relations in connivance with local authority using false affidavit declared him dead and he has been fighting this battle alone for last 20 years. He was hired as cook by famous filmstar #NanaPatekar in 2000 while shooting film Aanch in Banaras.

He has approached all possible government officials including previous UP CM #AkhileshYadav in 2012 where he directed local police to file an FIR in #Lucknow, nothing has moved. He was one of applicants in race for Presidential Election.

His story of agony and frustration is endless but his strong will to survive and get justice has kept him moving. He has been getting support for local, national as well as International media who covered his plight but all this has not moved lethargic administration. Recently Honorable High Court took up his case suo moto and some relief is expected.

I have been in touch with Santosh Murat Singh since 2012 when we started participation in #JusticeForNirbhaya at #JantarMantar. Recently Santosh expressed his desire to fight upcoming assembly elections from his home ground #Banaras in #UttarPradesh, he believed that if locals support him in his this endeavor he will be able to prove himself alive and also serve people in similar state. I was not in position to help in Banaras, but suggested him to visit Kanpur where we were planning to field candidates for my Political outfit #JanSanghParty. He agreed to it and was planning to reach Kanpur on 30th January 2022. Nominations were to end on 1st February and some locals assured us help to fight from Arya Nagar seat in Kanpur. Meanwhile local Police of Chaubepur Thana, Banaras got hint of his plans to fight elections and asked him to report to a local officer in police station by 1pm on 30th Jan 2022. He was made to wait till 7.00 pm in the evening when the officer finally arrived and asked him to leave after asking few casual questions. Thereafter he borrowed money from some local sympathizers including media persons who got him a bus ticket to Kanpur. He finally reached Kanpur around 5.00 am on 31st Jan 2022 and waited outside local courts till 1030 am when I met him and accompanied him to further process of nomination. It was disheartening to realise that people who were supporting him to fight elections from Arya Nagar seat backed out and we were informed about this around 4.00 pm. By this time window office of Returning Officer were closed and we could not get nomination form for new constituency. That’s when I decided to field him from my home constituency which happens to be #BJP bigwig Satish Mahana’s secured seat #217-Maharajpur.  I underestimated the task and was confident that we will be able to complete the formalities before 3.00 pm on 1st February which happens to be the deadline to enter concerned Returning Officers office with Nomination Form (A good 24 page with over 2000 essential information). We were successful in completing the form and get names of 10 proposers (many were later found to be missing from Election Commission website), we did not have time to even get their signatures same day. But we managed to get the dead man alive pass  "the Gates of forbidden power" before 3.00 pm, and managed to enter the offices of concerned Returning Officer at 2.58 pm  on 31st Jan 2022. Returning officer was kind enough to accept his form and allowed him time before 11.00 am on 2nd February to correct the deficiencies on the nomination form with deficiencies in 2 proposers, their data couldn’t be verified from ECI’s portal and some incomplete entries were also mentioned. We immediately corrected all deficiencies and decided to visit my village and relatives in the constituency to get their signature as proposer, (to keep it safe we requested 6 additional proposers including a few senior citizens to be present in court in case a new demand erupts and video recorded support of few proposers). We completed all formalities before 10.30 am and Santosh Murat Singh along with a person again passed through" the Gates of forbidden power" around 10.45 am on 2nd Feb 2022, to present himself before the Returning Officer, 217-Maharajpur with complete documents. After a while I joined him after asking other person to return (Rules allow only one person along with Candidate besides an Advocate, which we did not have). He was asked by police officer to wait since his number was 15 and will be called on turn. We were called around 2.20 pm and even before looking at our papers or giving a chance to present our case Santosh was told that he was supposed to present himself before 11.00 am today and now he is late, when I requested Returning Officer to at least listen to his case, his reply was that now he will not entertain any further discussion on this, and asked to leave since I was not authorized to be there. I respected his remark but didn’t leave him without informing him that he will be doing gross injustice to this already living dead man. He was asked to accept his rejection through a shabby looking piece of paper with stamp stating 9 Proposers instead of 10 and without signature(While referring to old faulty nomination form submitted on 1st Feb 2022) and without looking at new document and allowing his to present his case. On his return he was shocked with the unruly and indifferent behavior of Returning Officer today. He also mentioned that Officer asked him why he has come to Kanpur and fighting from this constituency when he was declared dead in Banaras, he should file nomination from Banaras. We held a small protest and even updated central observer who seemed to be in a hurry to join somebody for lunch, and left us with assurance that we will be heard before 3 pm today, no other officer was available in office till 5 pm when all returned to process and declare final nominations. While writing this letter another debacle happened, we are told that date for final withdrawal has been extended to facilitate some groups who wish to reduce number of candidates in certain constituencies. #ElectionCommissionOfIndia