Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 30
Following a district court’s order summoning the Registrar of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Shillong and Principal/Registrar of Kohima College to produce records pertaining to the authenticity of educational qualification of Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang, the Acting Registrar NEHU and Head Assistant from Kohima College appeared at the court Monday and furnished records and documents which strongly indicated that Zeliang did not pass his BA Examinations.
The court, headed by the Judical Magistrate First Class, District Court Kohima Tuccuno Vamuzo, examined the two witnesses, but did not pass any further order.
KN Balgopal, the advocate for the complainant, referring to the record furnished by NEHU official stated that there is no record of the year 1979 showing any TR Zeliang having passed from the University in that year. The advocate stated that this case involves a moral wrong and a legal wrong, and the main point for consideration is whether the present CM has filed a false declaration in the affidavit while submitting his nomination form to the returning officer during the 2013 assembly elections where he claimed to have passed the BA examination.
Record copies produced by the NEHU and Kohima College shows that not only did the Chief Minister not pass his BA exam but also failed in all the subjects in 1979 and in 1980 failed in four subjects, a source from the court said. However, he said, this is just a preliminary hearing and the defendant has yet to produce his witnesses.
Mention may be made that the Judicial Magistrate has, in an order, summoned the NEHU registrar to produce records of the educational qualification of the Chief Minister in respect of the examination of BA (Bachelor of Arts) held during the year 1978-1979 and 1979-1980. The court had also summoned the principal/registrar of Kohima College to produce records regarding the qualification of Zeliang along with his mark sheets in respect of the BA examination held in the year 1979 and 1980.
The Judicial Magistrate informed that it received a criminal complaint filed by one Maziezokho Nisa under section 125 A of the representation of Peoples Act 1951 against the accused/respondent TR Zeliang, Chief Minister of Nagaland. The complainant is alleging that Zeliang, who holds the highest office of the State, has made a false claim and declaration on his educational qualification and therefore has misled the people. He backed his allegation on a RTI reportedly filed on the educational qualification of the Chief Minister.
