In a startling turn of events, Congress MP Sunil Sharma has been apprehended following the revelation that his educational certificate was fraudulent. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police further detained four other individuals in connection with the case: Rambabu Yadav, Ranjit Yadav, Elina Sah, and Amit Chaudhary.
Sunil Sharma holds the position of Director at Kathmandu Medical College in Sinamangal and Nobel Medical College in Viratnagar. He also serves as a member of the House of Representatives, representing Morang-3.
The arrest stemmed from Sharma’s submission of a Class 12 certificate purportedly obtained from BDBKS College in Forbesganj, Bihar. However, a joint investigation conducted by CIB, the Medical Council, and Nepal’s National Examination Board unveiled the certificate as counterfeit.
Approximately two years ago, the National Examination Board dispatched a team to verify Sharma’s certificate at the Bihar School Examination Board. This inquiry failed to yield any records of his certificates. The arrest of Sharma marks a significant development in the ongoing ‘Operation Quack’ led by CIB, which has led to the apprehension of 59 doctors who obtained MBBS degrees through the use of fraudulent certificates, often with the complicity of the Nepal Medical Council.
The Nepal Police’s CIB communicated the details of Sharma’s arrest to the Parliament Secretariat, raising serious concerns about the legitimacy of the educational certificates he had submitted to the Medical Council.
Interestingly, Sunil Sharma had been a vocal advocate for the resignations of Nepal’s Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat in relation to the high-profile quintal gold smuggling case.
In a session of the House of Representatives on July 10, Sharma announced his intention to go on a hunger strike if the prime suspect in the gold smuggling case was not promptly arrested. The depth of his involvement in national affairs contrasted starkly with the uncovering of his counterfeit educational credentials, creating a paradox that has left the public and his colleagues in astonishment.
The incident serves as a reminder that even figures in positions of influence and authority are not immune to the consequences of fraudulent actions. As Nepal grapples with the fallout of this revelation, it also raises broader questions about the mechanisms in place to scrutinize the credentials of individuals entrusted with shaping the nation’s policies and decisions.
News Mania Desk / Agnibeena Ghosh 16th August 2023
