Assam News: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Wednesday that the state government will file an FIR against the chancellor of a private university in Meghalaya for allegedly obtaining an OBC certificate fraudulently from the Karimganj district 32 years ago.
During a press briefing, the Assam CM said that University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) chancellor Mahbabul Haque had obtained a certificate claiming to belong to an Other Backward Class (OBC) in 1992.
However, based on a complaint the same year, the OBC certificate was cancelled in August 1996 as it was found that Haque did not belong to any community to be eligible for it, he said.
"The district commissioner of Karimganj should have initiated proceedings against him then. Though it was not done then, we will file an FIR against Haque now,” he further stated, as quoted by news agency PTI.
While addressing a press briefing, Sarma stated that procuring a caste certificate through fraud is a crime. According to The Assam Tribune, the Assam CM has directed the District Commissioner of Karimganj, Mridul Yadav, to initiate legal action.
“We presumed the USTM Chancellor to be an educator. However, a report from the Karimganj DC has uncovered that he fraudulently obtained an OBC certificate, which the then-DC later revoked. Can someone who holds a fake OBC certificate truly be regarded as an educator?" Sarma questioned, as quoted by The Assam Tribune.
Sarma, however, refrained from disclosing further details during the briefing. He said that Haque had acquired the OBC certificate on the grounds of belonging to the Kiran community. “Complaints were filed against him, and after a thorough hearing, the Karimganj DC cancelled the OBC certificate issued to him,” the BJP leader further stated.
The matter was highlighted in a letter from Karimganj DC Yadav to the Principal Private Secretary to the CM. In the letter, Yadav reportedly revealed that the OBC certificate, originally issued to Haque on August 24, 1992, had been counter-signed by the then District Commissioner of Karimganj.
However, after the caste issue register was reviewed, it was found that Haque's OBC certificate was cancelled on August 20, 1996. Although the cancellation order or certificate could not be located. According to the Assam Tribune, the register noted that Haque is neither Maimal nor from the Kiran community, the letter read.
“For someone who had falsely acquired an OBC certificate, the next step should have been the initiation of a criminal case, but no FIR was filed. Now, we will proceed with filing the FIR,” Sarma stated.
Earlier this month, Sarma had held the USTM and Haq, its proprietor and chancellor, responsible for ‘flood jihad’ against Guwahati, claiming that the institute damaged hills on its campus leading to large-scale water logging in Guwahati. The varsity is located on a hill adjacent to the city.