IISJ Committee Resigns Amid Charges of Fraud, Malpractices

Javed Akhtar, Arab News

JEDDAH, 24 December 2004 — The managing committee of the International Indian School, Jeddah, has resigned amid reports of serious allegations of fraud and malpractices, according to a source at the Consulate General of India here. Committee Chairman Dr. Yousuf Khan Jaweed and member Ali Sumesh tendered their resignations which were accepted by the Higher Board at its meeting in Taif on Dec. 17. Incidentally, Dr. Jaweed and Sumesh were the only two members left in the seven-member committee, the others having either resigned earlier or become ineligible. The Higher Board after accepting the resignation of the committee has requested school patron and Indian Ambassador M.O.H. Farook to appoint an interim committee to manage the affairs of the school. “The interim committee will be announced in a day or two and will function till elections are held and a new committee is formed,” the source said. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), to which the IISJ is affiliated, inquired into allegations of malpractices during the tenure of the committee and took strong exception to some of the charges. The most serious charge was the issue of transfer certificates to students who had failed in the school examinations. The fraudulent certificates said that they had been promoted to the next higher class. By the strength of the transfer certificates these students would have taken admission to higher classes in a CBSE-affiliated school in India or elsewhere. Of the several alleged false transfer certificates, two were issued to children of consulate employees, according to a document made available to Arab News. Dipti Dhabla had failed in Class XI but was issued a certificate promoting her to Class XII. The document also alleges that the then director and the acting principal both refused to sign the false transfer certificates. “However, a transfer certificate showing Dipti Dhabla as promoted to Class XII was signed by Khalid Bin Mohammad on 4 April 2004,” the document says. Khalid Bin Mohammad is a head master in the girls’ section of the IISJ. Similarly, Deepak Chouhan had failed the Class IX exam but he was also given a transfer certificate which showed that he had been promoted to Class X. This was also allegedly signed by Khalid Bin Mohammad who was also made the center superintendent of the CBSE examination of March 2004 despite being much junior in the school hierarchy. Chairman Dr. Jaweed was also in the news recently when the police arrested him in connection with the boys’ school building case. When contacted by Arab News on his mobile to get his side of the story, Dr. Jaweed said he was busy with guests and would call back. The call never came.