Bihar info panel asks univ to probe Mohali SP’s degree

Gandhi had earlier faced investigations on similar charges in 2000 and was suspended last July,only for the order to be revoked this January. The Punjab government had given him a clean chit saying there was no need for repeated inquiries on similar allegations.

In his September 4 order,Bihar Information Commissioner Farzand Ahmed noted that Bhanot had received “contradictory information” on the officer’s degree under the RTI Act. “In order to arrive at the truth,the Magadh University registrar is directly to set up a high-level team to probe the matter and avail correct information to the applicant within a month,” the order said. The commission will hear the matter next on November 1,2012.

Denying the allegations and claiming an attempt to “tarnish” his image,SP Gandhi said he had cleared his two-year BA course from Kisan College,Sohsarai (Nalanda),under Magadh University. He said though his academic session was 1987-89,the final examination was held in September 1991 and he was awarded his degree in 1993. His degree bears signature of “J Ahmed” as VC of Magadh University.

The SP alleged that Bhanot,who could not pass inspector examination the same year as him,had been “jealous of his success”.

Bhanot said that in reply to his queries,university authorities had first cited a letter in 2007 to show that Gandhi was not “a student of the said college” and then issued a letter in 2011 saying Gandhi appeared in the 1991 examination.

“The very signature of ‘J Ahmed’ as VC shows the fraud as Magadh University never had any VC by that name when Gandhi claimed to have obtained the graduation degree. Second,sociology,one of the subjects Gandhi claimed to have studied as one of the BA papers,was not included in Kisan College till 1991,” Bhanot said.

Magadh University public information officer Arun Kumar said they would verify every detail. “But I can confirm that there was no VC in MU by name of ‘J Ahmed’. Ziauddin Ahmed was surely VC here but his tenure was between June 6,1997,and October 31,1998 — much before Gandhi had got his degree.”

Gandhi said given that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had called the charges questioning the veracity of his degree “infructuous”,“The State Information Commission should not have ordered an inquiry. At least I should have been informed to tell my side of the story.”

Asked about “J Ahmed” signature on his certificate,the SP said: “Please do a Google and you will get Jiauddin Ahmed.”

State Information Commissioner Ahmed said: “As the applicant had already got partial information and had approached the commission to get full information,the matter is between the applicant and PIO of Magadh University.”