How a forgotten markscard sparked a 40-year identity theft and pension fight

Bengaluru: A class VII markscard left behind in a govt office in 1982 sparked a bizarre four-decade saga of identity theft, secret extortion pacts, and a village court settlement that finally crumbled over a pension dispute.In 1982, M Rachaiah of Malavalli in Mandya district travelled to the Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB) office in Shivamogga to apply for a lineman’s position. He carried his class VII markscard, the minimum qualification required for the job. However, KEB abruptly cancelled the interviews. Disappointed, Rachaiah returned to his village to pursue farming, accidentally leaving his academic certificate behind at the govt office.

Shortly after, Bommegowda N of Nagamangala visited the same Shivamogga KEB office looking for work. He discovered Rachaiah’s abandoned markscard. Sensing an opportunity, Bommegowda assumed Rachaiah’s identity and applied for the vacant lineman’s post. KEB hired him on a temporary basis, knowing him only as “Rachaiah from Malavalli.“By 1992, the state govt regularised his service. Over the next decade, the imposter climbed the ranks, earning multiple promotions under his stolen name.Bommegowda becomes BommegowdaIn 2003, Bommegowda executed a bold legal manoeuvre to reclaim his true identity. He approached a local court pretending to be Rachaiah M, filed an affidavit stating he was changing his name to Bommegowda N, and successfully altered his official service records.The scam ran smoothly until 2019, when the real Rachaiah discovered that someone had been using his credentials for decades. Tracking the paper trail to Shivamogga, Rachaiah confronted Bommegowda.The village settlementInstead of involving law enforcement, the news reached Malavalli village, where local elders organised an informal court and brokered a secret financial agreement: Bommegowda could keep his job and avoid jail. In exchange, Bommegowda had to pay Rachaiah Rs 2-3 lakh annually, starting from 2019. In 2022, Bommegowda retired as a senior mechanic after 40 years of service. He received a lump-sum retirement benefit of Rs 10 lakh. Mediated by a retired Bescom executive engineer named Subhash, Bommegowda handed over the entire Rs 10 lakh gratuity payout to Rachaiah to keep him quiet.Greed breaks the pactHowever, the peace pact shattered in 2024. Rachaiah demanded a 50:50 monthly split of Bommegowda’s Rs 65,224 monthly govt pension. When Bommegowda refused to share his monthly pension, Rachaiah filed a formal complaint with the Bescom vigilance wing, which launched an inquiry, verified the 40-year impersonation timeline, and confirmed the fraud. The department has now handed the matter over to the Rajajinagar police, which filed a criminal case against the imposter.DCP North BS Nemagoud told TOI that as of now, police have registered a criminal case against Bommegowda, Rachaiah and retired engineer Subhash.“Bescom vigilance squad has carried out the preliminary investigation and submitted a detailed report. We have to carry out the investigation from basic enquiries like why there was no background verification done while appointing Bommegowda and so on,” he said.Timeline Of The Fraud1982- Rachaiah leaves markscard; Bommegowda steals identity to secure KEB job1992- Govt regularises Bommegowda’s service under the false identity2003- Bommegowda legally changes his name back via a court affidavit2019- The real Rachaiah discovers the scam; village elders broker a cash pact2022- Bommegowda retires; transfers his Rs 10 lakh gratuity to Rachaiah2024- Pension dispute breaks the silence ; police launch a criminal case