Dimapur Deputy Commissioner cancels a 2002 Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate after inquiry finds fraud and identity misrepresentation.
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DIMAPUR — Following a period of relentless pursuit by Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU), the deputy commissioner of Dimapur has cancelled a Non-Naga Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate issued in 2002 to Nirmal Jain, citing fraudulent procurement and misrepresentation of identity.
The DC issued the order on Thursday following an inquiry initiated on a complaint by the DNSU in June 2025 alleging illegal procurement of the certificate.
An internal inquiry committee, constituted in July 2025, conducted a detailed investigation and examined documentary evidence as well as responses submitted by the certificate holder.
The probe found major discrepancies in the claim linking Jain’s parentage to records in the 1964 electoral roll, which had formed the basis for issuance of the certificate.
Also read: Nagaland: DNSU serves 15-day ultimatum over ‘fraudulent’ indigenous certificate row
According to the findings, the electoral roll entry had cited Jain’s father as “Balchand Jain, son of Nantgram,” while the certificate holder stated that his grandfather’s name was “Hazari Mal,” creating what the report termed an “irreconcilable contradiction.”
The inquiry further recorded that the individual himself expressed uncertainty about the identity of the person listed in the 1964 records.
Based on these inconsistencies, the committee concluded that the certificate had been obtained through deliberate misrepresentation and personation with the intent to secure undue benefits.
Despite being issued show-cause notices and summons for hearings, Jain failed to appear before the authority, leading to the proceedings being conducted ex parte.
In the order, the deputy commissioner stated that certificates obtained through fraudulent means are “void ab initio” and cannot confer any legal status.
Asserting the need to protect the integrity of indigenous certification, the DC stated that allowing such documents to stand would undermine public trust and administrative processes.
Accordingly, the certificate bearing Registration No. 97 dated March 14, 2002 was declared null and void with immediate effect, and would no longer hold any legal validity.