Srinagar, March 31:
In a significant judgment, the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Pulwama, presided over by Dr. Noor Mohammad Mir, convicted six persons in a decades-old fake teacher recruitment case, exposing serious manipulation of official recruitment records in the Education Department.
The convicted persons include Assad-Ullah Lone, Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, Bashir Ahmad Shah, Syed Showkeen Andrabi, Mohammad Ashraf Khan, and Hamida Akhter. The court held them guilty under provisions of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and the Ranbir Penal Code for conspiracy, forgery, cheating, and illegal appointment in the Education Department.
The case dates back to 1998, when investigations revealed that Hamida Akhter, a resident of Bijbehara, had fraudulently worked as a teacher at Government High School Goripora, Pulwama, despite never applying for the post or appearing in any selection process. Investigators found that fake appointment orders, transfer orders, relieving orders, and service records had been prepared to show her as a legally appointed teacher.
The court observed that forged documents and fabricated service records were used to secure salary from the government treasury, causing financial loss to the state exchequer. Forensic evidence also confirmed forged signatures on official records. It was established that departmental officials facilitated the fraud and allowed salary withdrawal in her favour.
After a prolonged trial spanning over two decades, during which 18 witnesses were examined, the court sentenced all six accused to five years imprisonment with fines under corruption, forgery, and cheating charges. All sentences will run concurrently, making the effective imprisonment period five years.
The court termed corruption a “cancer” that destroys public trust, stressing that fraudulent appointments deprive deserving candidates and harm the education system. It rejected pleas for leniency and said punishment must act as a strong deterrent against corruption.