Allahabad High Court Orders FIR in Date-of-Birth Forgery Case, Calls Document Manipulation ‘Shocking’
By Rajesh Pandey
In a stern crackdown on alleged fraud and systemic corruption, the Allahabad High Court has directed the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, to immediately register a First Information Report (FIR) against a man accused of manipulating his date of birth, along with the Gram Panchayat official who allegedly facilitated the forgery.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Anish Kumar Gupta described the facts placed before it as “shocking” and observed that the brazen fabrication of official records appeared to be the outcome of “widespread corruption.”
Petition Exposes Its Own Absurdity
The case arose from a writ petition filed by Shiv Shankar Pal, who sought a court direction to the passport authorities to alter his date of birth in official records from 1994 to 2005.
However, upon scrutinising the documents submitted by the petitioner himself, the court found the claim to be patently untenable.
The Bench examined the petitioner’s High School examination certificate, which showed that he had passed the examination in 2011.
The judges questioned how a person allegedly born in 2005 could have appeared for the High School examination at the age of six, calling the claim inherently absurd and self-contradictory.
Forgery Spanning Multiple Records
Taking note of the inconsistencies, the court ordered registration of an FIR for offences of cheating and forgery under the relevant provisions of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita against the petitioner as well as the concerned Gram Panchayat officials.
During the proceedings, the court pointed out that the petitioner’s High School certificate, issued by the Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad in 2011, clearly recorded his date of birth as July 11, 1994.
Additionally, the Aadhaar card originally submitted during the passport application process also reflected the year of birth as 1994.
However, the Aadhaar card copy annexed with the writ petition showed the date of birth as July 11, 2005—strongly indicating that a subsequent and questionable “correction” had been made.
Court Expresses Deep Anguish
The Bench expressed serious concern over the documents placed on record, particularly the birth certificate issued by the Gram Panchayat, Prayagraj, in November 2025, which certified the petitioner’s date of birth as 2005.
Underscoring the illogical nature of the plea, the court observed that accepting the petitioner’s contention would lead to an impossible conclusion—that he appeared for and passed his High School examination at the age of approximately six years.
“This lack of bona fides and evident manipulation of official records cannot be ignored,” the court remarked, making it clear that such conduct strikes at the credibility of public institutions.
Strict Directions and Warning
Taking a hard line, the High Court directed the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, to register an FIR forthwith.
The matter has now been listed for January 27, 2026, at the top of the board to ensure compliance with the court’s directions.
In its order dated January 5, the court also issued a clear warning: any failure to comply with its directions would invite proceedings against the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, personally.
The ruling sends a strong signal against the manipulation of public records and highlights judicial intolerance towards attempts to misuse official machinery through fraud and forged documentation.
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