Student Charges Term Bill Sabotage

Ali Shah says it's all just a misunderstanding.

But Ali Binazir '93 says the conduct of Shah, an Extension School student, constitutes harassment. And now Binazir is pursuing a complaint with the Harvard Police Department.

At issue is Shah's behavior during the academic year 1989-90, when Binazir was a first-year student. Binazir alleges that Shah registered in his name, charged an apartment to his account, and arranged to have Binazir's term bills and grade reports sent to Shah's home.

But Shah said in an interview this week that he was merely playing a "prank" on Binazir by pretending to register as the College student in 1989. Shah denied changing the address on Binazir's term bills or grade reports or charging an apartment to that bill.

Binazir said the alleged harassment ceased after his sophomore year. But Binazir said he is pursuing the matter because of his "sense of being violated" and his worry that Shah might victimize other students.

"This guy should not have been hanging out here," Binazir said. "He needs to be exposed."

Binazir said he had brought his complaints to the attention of the registrar and to the Harvard police more than a year ago. He said he pursued the matter during the summer, and received no response.

Lt. John Rooney of the Harvard Police Department yesterday confirmed the department had received Binazir's complaint. But Rooney said the complaint had been forwarded to the General Counsel's office for "some kind of administrative review."

"There were some discrepancies there [in Shah's account of the incident]," said Rooney, "but it was never criminal."

Binazir, who is from Woodland Hills, Calif., said he first became suspicious when he did not receive grade reports or term bills during his first year. Binazir went to the billing office in Holyoke Center where, he says, records showed his address had been changed to an address in Houston, Shah's hometown.

In addition, Binazir said, the records listed Cifamsah Shah as his parent. And Binazir said the records also indicated he had lost his identification card and had been issued a new one. Binazir said he never lost his original identification card.

Binazir said he has no evidence that Shah changed his address or got his identification card. But the 1990-91 Cabot House facebook has a picture of Shah where a picture of Binazir should be. Facebook photographs are the same as those used on identification cards.

Binazir also said that he was charged rent for an apartment in Peabody Terrace that he never occu- pied. The charges were always paid, Binazirsaid, but they showed up on his term bill. Binazircould not produce the term bill, and Susan L.Schnare, supervisor of student billing, declinedto comment on the matter yesterday.

Shah indicated this week that he had once livedin an apartment in Peabody Terrace, but said henever charged it to Binazir. And Shah said he hadapologized to Binazir for registering in his nameand tried to resolve the problems between the two.

"That was a stupid thing I did, but I've done alot of good things while I've been here," saidShah, who said he played the prank becausesomebody dared him to do it. "I'm so sorry thatthis got to be so much trouble for him."

Reached by phone this week in Houston, Dr.Chamsah Hasan, Shah's mother, confirmed that shehad received Binazir's grade reports several yearsago, but said that her son had eventually fixedthe "mix-up."

"At first we were getting Ali Binazir's gradereports," said Hasan. "I don't know how Mr.Binazir could think [Shah] was impersonating him."

I. Alejandro Lopez, who went to Harvard summerschool with Shah in 1990 and calls him a goodfriend, said he witnessed a conversation in whichShah apologized to Binazir. Lopez could not recallthe specifics of the conversation last night.

A friend of Shaw's from Summer School, Clay T.Mitchell '95, says Shaw claimed during the summerto be an undergraduate living at Mather House.Mitchell said he believed that claim until hisproctor told him otherwise.

Shah denied ever telling Mitchell he was aCollege student living at Mather.

Harvard Extension School officials said thatShah registered at their school for this academicyear. Shah and his mother said he has been astudent at the Extension School for each of thelast four years

Shah indicated this week that he had once livedin an apartment in Peabody Terrace, but said henever charged it to Binazir. And Shah said he hadapologized to Binazir for registering in his nameand tried to resolve the problems between the two.

"That was a stupid thing I did, but I've done alot of good things while I've been here," saidShah, who said he played the prank becausesomebody dared him to do it. "I'm so sorry thatthis got to be so much trouble for him."

Reached by phone this week in Houston, Dr.Chamsah Hasan, Shah's mother, confirmed that shehad received Binazir's grade reports several yearsago, but said that her son had eventually fixedthe "mix-up."

"At first we were getting Ali Binazir's gradereports," said Hasan. "I don't know how Mr.Binazir could think [Shah] was impersonating him."

I. Alejandro Lopez, who went to Harvard summerschool with Shah in 1990 and calls him a goodfriend, said he witnessed a conversation in whichShah apologized to Binazir. Lopez could not recallthe specifics of the conversation last night.

A friend of Shaw's from Summer School, Clay T.Mitchell '95, says Shaw claimed during the summerto be an undergraduate living at Mather House.Mitchell said he believed that claim until hisproctor told him otherwise.

Shah denied ever telling Mitchell he was aCollege student living at Mather.

Harvard Extension School officials said thatShah registered at their school for this academicyear. Shah and his mother said he has been astudent at the Extension School for each of thelast four years