Retired joint secy accused of forging docus 30 yrs ago

Retired joint secy accused of forging docus 30 yrs ago

Kiran.Parashar@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru: 08.01.2021

Amid an evaluation scam — suspected to be about two years old — breaking out in Bangalore University, it has emerged that a former law student of the varsity had allegedly forged his marks card and degree certificate, joined the state government 30 years ago claiming to be a graduate and risen to the rank of a joint secretary before retiring in 2020.

The accused, Azaz Ahammed Khan, 60, worked as joint secretary in the assembly secretariat office. According to sources in the secretariat, Khan retired in June last year. Police say the fraud came to light after secretariat officials wrote to the university seeking to verify Khan’s marks card and graduation certificate as he was due for promotion as joint secretary from deputy secretary.

The varsity probe revealed he was a student of the nowclosed Islamia Law College and had joined the college in 1985-86. In 1986 and 1987, he consecutively failed in two subjects.

In 1991, Khan joined the secretariat claiming to be a law graduate. The same year he wrote exams in several subjects but could not pass them. The certificates he submitted to the government were also not printed from the university printing press. Probe revealed all the documents were forged and were submitted to the government to get a job.

Sources said Azaz had submitted only a few documents when he joined the job but when his promotion as joint secretary from deputy secretary was due last year, he furnished the forged documents to the deputy secretary (administration), stating he had completed graduation 35 years ago. His fraud was exposed when the government sent his documents for verification.

Police said they are yet to trace Khan and have no clue on his whereabouts. Sources at the secretariat office said that they have received information from both BU and Jnanabharathi police station and appropriate action is being initiated. However, the officials did not reveal much information when asked how he could work for 30 years in the government by providing fake documents.

BU files complaint

K Jyothi, registrar (administration) of Bangalore University, has filed a complaint against Azaz Ahammed Khan at Jnanabharathi police station. He’s been booked under IPC sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 465 (forgery) and 471 (forgery of documents).