Complaint against Hajela for 'tampering' with final NRC list

The Assam Public Works (APW), an NGO, has accused former NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela of tampering with the final version of the National Register of Citizens by excluding two persons from the list.

In a complaint with the state CID, the APW which is the original petitioner in the Supreme Court leading to the updation of the NRC has also alleged that Hajela altered public records after making those exclusions.

Hajela disobeyed the Supreme Court's orders, made a false document, forged a public register and committed cyber offences by misusing his powers and position, APW president Abhijeet Sarma alleged in a press conference.

The NRC which validates bonafide Indian citizens of Assam was updated under the monitoring of the Supreme Court. The final list excluding 19 lakh people was published on August 31 last year.

Several political parties and organisations have alleged that many illegal immigrants were able to get their names included in the document while a large number of genuine Indians were excluded.

"We being a local responsible organisation of Assam enquired into certain data and came to know about fraudulent inclusion of two persons, who were earlier declared foreigners, in the final list of the NRC," Sarma said.

"After the media reported this issue, Hajela tampered with the final list of the NRC, gaining access to the website by misusing his powers. He disrespected the Supreme Court by changing the status of those two persons from accepted to rejected," he alleged.

The Supreme Court on August 13 last year had directed Hajela to formulate a strong security regime before publishing the final list to prevent it from illegal activities after its publication.

Hajela's conduct indicates that he used "certain software which was very much within his domain even after publication of the final NRC to alter the status fo the two", the APW alleged.

The APW said it fears that "Hajela may still have access to the NRC data and can use them for fulfilling his vested interests at any point of time".

The apex court had ordered Hajela's transfer from Assam to his home state Madhya Pradesh. He was released from the charge of NRC state coordinator on November 11 last year.

"We, therefore, requested the CID to register a case against Hajela for tampering with valuable public records and conduct an inquiry into his involvement in cybercrime during the updation process," Sarma said.

APW had lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI against Hajela on November 28 last year, allegeing embezzlement of Rs 1,600 crores of government fund by Hazela and his close aides during the NRC updating process.

Names of more than 19 lakh people were not included in the final NRC list.