Congress MLA Arif Masood faces an FIR for allegedly running Bhopal college on fake documents. Madhya Pradesh High Court orders SIT probe into forged land deeds and recognition fraud.
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MADHYA PRADESH: An FIR has been registered against Congress MLA Arif Masood for allegedly using forged documents to secure government recognition for a city-based college nearly two decades ago. The action comes after a directive from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which found serious irregularities in the documents submitted for recognition.
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Background of the Case
The controversy surrounds the Indira Priyadarshini College, Bhopal, run by the Aman Education Society, where Masood serves as secretary. The state government had cancelled the college’s recognition on June 9, 2025, prompting Masood to challenge the decision in the High Court.
However, the court’s scrutiny of land documents submitted during the recognition process raised red flags. The first sale deed, dated August 2, 1999, was found to be forged, and the second deed was never recorded in the revenue records. Despite these discrepancies, the college continued functioning for two decades.
Court’s Observation
The division bench comprising Justices Atul Sreedharan and Pradeep Mittal made scathing observations during the hearing:
- The forged documents indicated not only malpractice by the management but also possible collusion of officials and political patronage.
- The bench stressed that such long-standing irregularities could not have continued without systemic support.
- Recognizing the seriousness of the issue, the court directed the Bhopal Police Commissioner to register an FIR within three days and asked the Director General of Police to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Following the court’s order, the FIR was filed at Koh-e-Fiza police station under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including:
- Section 420 (Cheating)
- Section 471 (Using forged documents as genuine)
Assistant Police Commissioner Anil Bajpai confirmed the registration of the case.
While the recognition of the college has been officially cancelled, the court allowed it to continue operations temporarily to ensure that students are not adversely affected. The SIT has been given three months to complete its investigation.
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