AS-HAJELA-COMPLAINT

Complaint against Hajela for 'tampering' with final NRC list
    Guwahati, Feb 12 (PTI) 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. PTI DG ACD
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)