Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court (HC) recently took note of the contention made in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the petitioner Amguri Nabanirman Samity (ANS), that the Deputy Commissioner had ordered the Superintendent of Police to conduct a comprehensive enquiry into the ANS’ allegations, but it has not been carried out. ANS had earlier filed a PIL alleging that fake qualification certificates were submitted by elected representatives of the Jorhat Municipal Board and that a subsequent RTI application had confirmed it.
Responding to the request of the Additional Senior Government Advocate, Assam, the HC gave him time until November 11 to file the necessary information.
The bench of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, while hearing the matter (Case No.: PIL/55/2026), observed that the petitioner had earlier filed PIL 10/2023, and although it was disposed of on February 3, 2023, at the motion stage, the court issued certain directions.
In that PIL, the petitioner raised the issue that the elected representatives of the Jorhat Municipal Board had used unfair means by submitting forged educational qualification certificates, a claim that was confirmed by the information obtained through RTI, as noted by the bench.
The Division Bench hearing the afore-noted PIL, without commenting on such an assertion made by the petitioner, directed the authorities to verify the allegations made in the petition and take necessary action in that regard, but only after giving ample opportunity to the affected persons to represent their cases. The Deputy Commissioner, Jorhat, was thus directed to examine the plea of the petitioner and take necessary action in accordance with law.
Pursuant to the 2023 order referred to above, the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Jorhat, submitted that there was nothing on record to affirm the allegations made in the petition. However, by an order dated April 26, 2023, the DC declared that the Superintendent of Police, Jorhat, shall make a comprehensive inquiry into the matter and proceed as per law.
The bench noted that the contention of the petitioner in the present petition is that no such comprehensive inquiry has been conducted by the Superintendent of Police, Jorhat, as assured and directed by the Jorhat DC.
Further, the bench noted that at this stage, the Additional Senior Government Advocate, Assam, seeks some time to take instruction in the matter and get back to this Court with the necessary information. So, it has directed that the court be re-notified on November 11, 2026, about the matter.
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