In a significant judgment underscoring the seriousness of employment fraud in public institutions, a local court in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, has handed down a seven-year jail sentence to a 36-year-old woman,
Kshama Gupta, for fraudulently obtaining a government job in the Education Department through the submission of forged educational certificates. Along with the prison term, the court has also imposed a monetary penalty of ₹30,000 on the accused, according to government counsel Rakesh Verma, who represented the prosecution in this matter.
Kshama Gupta, a resident of the Kannauj district, had been serving as an assistant teacher in the state’s Education Department since the year 2015.
However, subsequent investigations revealed that the educational credentials she had used to secure the teaching post were fabricated and fraudulent.
The matter came to light in August 2017 when the principal of a government inter college (a secondary school) located in Pilibhit filed a formal complaint, alleging that Gupta had obtained her position at the institute using fake academic documents, including a forged Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) mark sheet and degree certificate.
Acting on the principal’s complaint, an official verification process was initiated to scrutinize the authenticity of the academic documents submitted by Gupta.
Her B.Ed certificate and marksheet, which were purportedly issued by an educational institute based in Varanasi, were dispatched to that very institute for cross-checking and verification.
In response, the Varanasi-based institute conducted a thorough internal inquiry and subsequently issued a formal report stating that the documents in question had not been issued by them, thereby confirming that both the certificate and the marksheet were fraudulent. The forged marksheet bore a fake issuance date of 2014.
Following the receipt of this conclusive verification report from the institute, the Education Department swiftly initiated disciplinary action against Kshama Gupta.
As per departmental protocol, she was dismissed from her government post, and further action was recommended to pursue the matter through the legal system.
In compliance with these directives, an FIR (First Information Report) was registered against her, and the case was subsequently investigated by the local police.
The police investigation culminated in the filing of a chargesheet in court, listing the specific charges and detailing the evidence gathered against Gupta. The court, after examining the case, proceeded to trial.
During the legal proceedings, Kshama Gupta had submitted an application seeking an exemption from personal appearance in court.
However, on March 29, the court rejected her exemption plea and issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) for her arrest after she was found guilty of the charges leveled against her.
Following the issuance of the warrant, Gupta later appeared before the court. Upon her appearance, she was taken into judicial custody.
The court found Gupta guilty under several stringent provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC):
- Sec 420: Cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property
- Sec 467: Forgery of a valuable security, will, or other significant document
- Sec 468: Forgery committed for cheating
- Section 471: Using a forged document as if it were genuine
Each of these sections carries serious legal consequences, and the court’s verdict reflects the gravity of the offense.
This case serves as a strong deterrent and a cautionary example to individuals seeking to gain government employment through deceitful methods.
The prosecution emphasized that such acts not only undermine the integrity of the public sector but also deprive deserving candidates of opportunities. It is a breach of public trust and a disservice to students and institutions that rely on qualified educators.
Officials from the Education Department reiterated that the state government remains committed to maintaining transparency, accountability, and merit-based recruitment across all departments.
They have urged all institutions to remain vigilant and adopt stringent document verification protocols during recruitment processes.
The verdict has been widely seen as a positive step toward upholding the rule of law and preserving the sanctity of government services, particularly in the education sector, which plays a foundational role in shaping future generations.