UP SC/ST Commission orders probe against BHU asst prof
VARANASI : The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) Commission has ordered a probe against an assistant professor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), who allegedly availed himself of a fake Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate for taking advantage of reservation provisions. Manoj Verma, the assistant professor, has denied the allegation.
UP SC/ST commission chairman Brijlal has directed the additional director general of police, Varanasi zone, to conduct a probe into the matter and submit a report in this connection by October 30.
Brijlal said Anant Narayan Mishra, resident of Chandauli, filed a complaint on September 27, alleging that Manoj Verma, assistant professor at the department of sociology, BHU and his brother Arvind were doing post doctoral fellowship, which they had allegedly obtained by using fake ST certificate.
The commission chairman further said Mishra had alleged that in January, Manoj Verma claimed to be a Scheduled Tribe member and lodged a complaint at the Lanka police station against Prof AK Joshi, head of the sociology department at BHU and him (Anant Narayan Mishra). Following his complaint, a case was registered against Joshi and Mishra under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Mishra also submitted some documents to prove his claim.
The chairman said that according to documents made available, Manoj Verma and his father Kanhaiya Prasad belonged to the Kahar caste, which is a backward caste. The documents showed that Kanhaiya Prasad was an assistant in the district cooperative bank at Mirzapur. In the bank duty record, his caste is registered as backward Hindu Kahar. Kanhaiya was given promotion on the basis of his backward caste. The chairman said the complainant claimed that Manoj Verma received the ST caste certificate from Sonbhadra by hiding his caste to take benefit of the reservation provisions.
This was a very serious issue and also a violation of the SC/ST Act, he said. He said the ADG was instructed that if the allegations were found true, a case should be registered against those found guilty under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
ADG Brajbhushan said the probe would begin on Tuesday and it would be completed within the deadline. Denying the allegation, assistant prof Manoj Verma said, “I belong to the Kharwar caste (ST). I have proof of it. The people, who lodged a complaint against me with the SC/ST Commission, are conspiring against me. They want to defame me. These people attacked me on January 28 this year. Subsequently, I lodged a complaint against them at the Lanka police station. Police registered a case against them under SC/ST (Prevention) of Atrocities Act. To avoid action, they are leveling false allegations against me. Their allegations are completely baseless.”