Assam govt to lodge FIR against USTM chancellor

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 28, 2024

The Assam government is directing the Karimganj District Commissioner (DC) to lodge an FIR against Mahbubul Haque, the Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) in connection with Haque’s false OBC (Other Backward Classes) certificate obtained from the district administration.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma revealed that Mahbubul Haque obtained an OBC certificate by falsely identifying himself as part of the Maimal/Kiran community. Sarma stated that this certificate, issued in 1992, was found to be false and subsequently withdrawn in 1996.

“I believed he is an educationist. But I received a report from the Karimganj district commissioner that Mahbubul Haque obtained an OBC certificate stating him as Maimal/Kiran community. The certificate, which was issued in 1992, was found to be false and was withdrawn in 1996,” Sarma said.

According to the report submitted by the Karimganj district commissioner to the principal private secretary of CMO that OBC certificate was issued to Mahbubul Haque son of late Ibrahim Ali, of village Purbagool under Patharkandi police station in Karimganj district on August 24, 1992 which was countersigned by the then district commissioner, Karimganj.

“However on close examination of the caste issue register, it is found that the OBC certificate of the Hoque was cancelled on August 20, 1996. But the copy of the cancellation order/certificate cannot be traced out as yet. As per the note seen in the issue register, it is to be noted that Hoque is neither Maimal nor from Kiran community and that his OBC certificate stands withdrawn by district administration with effect from August 1996,” the DC said in the report.

“The OBC certificate was issued to Hoque in 1992 when Abdul Rajak of Basail was the chairman of the OBC Board of Karimganj,” Sarma said.

“But in 1992 advocate Anwarul Haque lodged complaint regarding the OBC certificate and subsequently certificate was cancelled in August 1996,” he said.

“Mahbubul Haque is neither Maimal nor from Kiran community, his OBC certificate was withdrawn by the district administration. But FIR was not filed against him,” the Chief Minister said.

“Accordingly, an FIR should be lodged against him. But it was not done. Now we are taking up the case and directed the DC to lodge FIR against Hoque,” he added.