HC refuses to quash FIR against accused in case of forgery, impersonation in govt exams

Jodhpur, Jul 5 (PTI) The Rajasthan High Court has dismissed a batch of petitions seeking quashing of an FIR against three persons accused of a large-scale conspiracy related to the fabrication of educational documents and impersonation in government recruitment examinations.

A single bench of Justice Sameer Jain observed that the offences were of "grave public importance" and that the findings of the Special Operations Group (SOG) established a prima facie case, making premature quashing of the FIR untenable as it would result in conflict with the rights of legitimate aspirants.

According to a prosecution counsel, a female candidate had applied for a lecturer's post, claiming she was doing her post-graduation from Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University.

During document verification, discrepancies emerged, prompting the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) to seek clarification from the university.

Investigations later revealed a bigger racket of forged degrees from Mewar University and impersonation in government recruitment exams.

Following this, the SOG took over the probe and registered an FIR. The investigations led to further revelations including the alleged role of the petitioners.

The accused argued that they were neither named in the original FIR nor directly linked by substantive evidence, claiming the case against them relied on speculative inferences.

However, the prosecution contended that digital and physical evidence established their involvement.

Notably, video footage from the exam centre allegedly showed one of the petitioners impersonating the original applicant.

The court also noted that the petitioners were absconding for a significant period, suggesting potential consciousness of guilt.

After evaluating the material on record, the court ruled that the inclusion of the petitioners' names post-investigation followed due legal process.

Dismissing their pleas, the high court held that no valid ground existed for quashing the FIR or chargesheet and directed the petitioners to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. PTI COR RT