Court junks bail plea of accused in fake degree case
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 20 2023:
The court of Additional Sessions Judge (FTC), Manipur East rejected the anticipatory bail (AB) filed by KVK Bishnupur head and senior scientist Brajamani in connection with a case related to possession and utilisation of fake PhD degree certificate.
Complainant of the case namely Toijam Shantikumar Luwang filed an RTI application at Central Public Information commissioner of CMJ University, Shillong seeking information regarding the PhD degree certificate furnished by Brajamani.
After failing to get necessary information through the RTI, Shantikumar lodged a complaint at Lamphel PS on October 13, 2021 for an inquiry against Brajamani.
Based on the complaint, Lamphel PS OC took up a case and himself being the inquiry officer (IO) of the case visited CMJ University and sought information and documents from registrar of the university regarding possession of PhD degree certificate by the petitioner seeking anticipatory bail.
During the course of the probe, it came to light that the petitioner procured a PhD degree certificate from the university on March 9, 2021 as if he had joined PhD course in 2017.It was also found that the petitioner deceptively procured PhD degree certificate from the university through backdate registration.
Accordingly, the OC submitted a report to the police station stressing the need for indepth investigation.
Based on the report of the inquiry officer, Lamphel PS registered an FIR and started investigation during which it was unravelled that the petitioner possessed PhD degree certificate within five months deceitfully using fake documents.
For the course, the petitioner even used fake documents for procuring 'No Objection Certificate' and study leave and the fake PhD degree certificate was utilised for his personal gain.
When the police station concerned summoned the petitioner three times in early part of 2023, the petitioner did not turn up citing medical ground and even placed before the court that petitioner violated interim bail conditions of the sessions judge, Imphal West.
Interestingly, one Maibam Nabadip and an unknown person came at the residence of the complainant of the case Shantikumar on December 20, 2022 and forced him to talk with the petitioner through mobile phone.
During the talk, the petitioner threatened the complainant to withdraw the case and offered to provide Rs 3/4 lakh for the same and even warned of dire consequences if the case was not withdrawn.
However, Shantikumar lodged a complaint in this regard to SP Imphal West.
The petitioner claimed that his research guide was associate professor Dr Rosalin Mary, a permanent faculty of the department of Zoology, CMJ University.
However, when IO of the case visited Coimbatore and questioned, Dr Rosalin Mary informed that she had been working as assistant professor at Nirmala College for women since the year 2007 and she had never worked at CMJ University.
Apart from this, Nirmala College for women principal informed the IO that no 'No Objection Certificate' for Dr Rosalin Mary to guide PhD scholar had been issued.
According to Dr Rosalin, she does not know the petitioner and approached her to be PhD guide or joined any seminar or published any thesis or synopsis.
Till the IO prepared the report, the petitioner is unable to submit hard or soft copy of the thesis to police and there has been no copy of the thesis at the university or guide.
Accordingly, the IO placed before the court that the case needs to be investigated thoroughly.
As per investigation of the IO so far, the petitioner paid Rs 1 lakh on November 1, 2020 as enrolment fee for undergoing PhD course as 2017 batch at CMJ University.
Except this, the petitioner failed to produce any proof for communicating with his research guide Dr Dr Rosalin Mary, co-guide Dr MA Badul Hague and CMJ University.
The IO's report also mentioned that the petitioner completed his PhD degree course in five months without doing any research work and all necessary documents were prepared through back date.
The petitioner despite being in-service candidate also did not procure NOC from relevant reporting officer, the IO mentioned in the report.
After hearing the IO's report, the court observed that allegations against the petitioner is very serious and the attempt to avail monetary benefits from the government might infringe employment merit system.
The court also observed that forging documents by the petitioner cannot be ruled out as there was no copy of thesis at the university or at guide's hand.
The court then rejected the anticipatory bail application of the petitioner so that the investigation of the case could be continued without any interference.
The court also vacated the interim order passed on December 16, 2022 .