Bihar Info panel asks varsity for details of Mohali SP’s ‘forged’ graduation certificate

Gandhi,who became an inspector in 1993,was elevated to the post of SP last year. Gandhi had earlier faced investigations on similar charges in 2000 and was suspended last July. His suspension,however,was revoked this January after the Punjab government gave him a clean chit saying that there was no need for repeated inquiries for similar allegations.

The SP in question,Parampal Singh Gandhi,said he passed his two-year-course on bachelor of arts from Kisan College,Sohsarai (Nalanda) under Magadh University. He said that 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 the signature of “J Ahmed” as VC of Magadh University.

The applicant Anil Kumar Bhanot,however,told the State Information of Bihar,that he received “contradictory” information from MU authorities with a 2007 letter saying Gandhi was not “a student of the said college” and a 2011 letter saying that Gandhi appeared in the 1991 examination.

The applicant Bhanot reasoned before the Information Commission that if Magadh University wrote to the Punjab police about Gandhi’s degree being valid,why are the same universities authorities now saying otherwise.

Bhanot said,“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 his BA papers,was not included in Kisan College till 1991”.

Magadh University Public Information Officer Arun Kumar said,“As per the Information Commission’s order,a team will verify every detail. But I can confirm that there was no VC in MU by the name of ‘J Ahmed’ as shown on Gandhi’s certificate. Ziauddin Ahmed was the VC here but his tenure was between 6 June 1997 and 31 October 1998 – much before Gandhi had got his degree”.

Kumar said that the university VCs between 1988 and 1995 were I Dhan (13 December 1988 to 25 June 1990),R K Mahto (26 June 1990 to 25 June 1993),AB Prasad (26 June 1993 to 1 December 1993) and C Naik (2 December 1993 to 17 March 1995).

The man in question,Mohali City II Superintendent of Police Parampal Singh Gandhi,told The Indian Express,“It is an attempt to tarnish my image. Punjab and Haryana High Court had called the petitioners’ challenging veracity of my degree as infructuous in a recent order and the matter is still in court. The State Information Commission should not have ordered the inquiry. At least,I should have been asked to tell my side of the story”.

Asked about the ‘J Ahmed’ signature on his certificate,the SP said,“Please do a Google search and you will get Jiauddin Ahmed”. The university records and Google search,however,did not support the SP’s claim. The SP alleged that applicant Bhanot,who could not pass the inspector examination in the same year as him,had been “jealous of his success”.

State Information Commissioner Farzand Ahmed said,“As the applicant had already got partial information and had approached the commission to get full information,the matter was between the applicant and PIO of MU as per rules”.