A case has been registered against Congress MLA Arif Masood on the directions of the principal bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur. The directive was issued to the Bhopal Police Commissioner for Masood’s connection with alleged irregularities surrounding the recognition of a private college in the state capital.
The court has also ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by ADG (Communication) Sanjiv Sami, to probe the matter in detail.
The case pertains to Indira Priyadarshani College of Management, run by the Aman Education Society, of which Masood is secretary. The institution has been functioning for nearly two decades, but investigations have revealed that it was established on the basis of fraudulent documents.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the Congress party has not initiated any disciplinary action against Masood. Political observers point out the contrast, while the Congress party swiftly removed a Hindu minister in Karnataka over a controversy, it has chosen silence in Masood’s case, allegedly fearing a backlash that could affect its so-called “secular vote bank.”
College Allowed to Operate but No Fresh Admissions
While taking cognizance of the matter, the High Court noted the presence of nearly 1,000 students currently enrolled at the institution. To safeguard their academic interests, the bench allowed the college to continue operations temporarily. However, it categorically barred the institution from admitting new students for the upcoming academic session.
The SIT has been instructed to submit its findings within a stipulated time frame, earlier reports suggested one and a half months, though the court has also mentioned a three-month deadline. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for October 2025.
Fraudulent Documents Uncovered
The controversy began in 2024 when a formal complaint was filed against the college, prompting an inquiry by the Higher Education Department. The investigation unearthed several discrepancies, including two solvency certificates that were never issued and four registries related to solvency that were discovered to be fake. Based on these findings, the department withdrew the college’s recognition earlier this year.
The court observed that the fraud was not an isolated incident but the result of a larger nexus. Justice Atul Shridhar remarked during the proceedings that such large-scale irregularities could not have gone unnoticed for two decades without “political patronage.”
Political Rivalry Resurfaces
Former BJP MLA and long-time rival of Masood, Dhruva Narain Singh, reacted strongly to the development, stating that the High Court’s order proved right his long-standing claims about the college being founded on forged documents. “The HC has instructed the Bhopal Police Commissioner to file an FIR against Congress MLA Arif Masood within three days, and an SIT has also been constituted,” Singh told reporters outside the court.
The bench went beyond directing action against Masood, stressing the accountability of government officials who allegedly colluded in the recognition process. The court noted that despite clear red flags such as a fake sale deed submitted by Masood as far back as 2004, authorities failed to properly verify the documents. It added that the negligence, or deliberate inaction, of state officers allowed the institution to operate unchecked for nearly 20 years.
In response to the order, Masood indicated that he is considering challenging the decision in the Supreme Court, particularly the restrictions imposed on the college and the directive to register an FIR.
The case has raised serious questions about oversight mechanisms in higher education, particularly the manner in which private institutions secure recognition. The court’s observation that fraud of this scale was “not possible without political connections” has intensified scrutiny of both political figures and bureaucrats involved in the affair.
For now, while the enrolled students will be allowed to continue their studies, the institution faces an uncertain future as the SIT embarks on its investigation. The findings, expected to be submitted in the coming months, could have far-reaching consequences not only for MLA Arif Masood but also for several officials linked to the matter.