Fake Caste Certificates To Obtain MBBS Degree A Crime Against Society, Officials Involved Should Be Sent To Prison: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday remarked that fake caste certificates being obtained to enrol in MBBS degree courses were a crime against society, and that those officials who were responsible for the same should be sent to prison.

A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya were hearing a matter regarding fake caste certificates, and noted that the State had not yet prepared an affidavit regarding the particulars of issued/canelled caste certificates as directed by the court on an earlier date.

"Send [the officials] to prison. A person who has completed this course with false certificate, has studied and got his degree, but he has played fraud. So he shall not be entitled to use that degree for any post graduate or any higher qualification, or public employment. This is crime against society. It is a constitutional fraud and no mercy can be shown. The person should be taken to task and the officer should also go. If verification process is wrong, we will suspend the officer through court order and direct an inquiry," the Court stated.

The petitioners, represented by Senior Advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya submitted that this was fraud that was played against the society at a large scale.

It was stated that this problem was not just limited to this case, but was a pan-India problem.

Chief Justice Sivagnananam stated that this was a problem even in his parent state of Tamil Nadu, where there was a division bench specifically for hearing matters regarding fake caste certificates.

It was further stated that in TN, there were state-level committees headed by an IAS officer with anthropological experience to verify the claims made by applicants.

Accordingly, the Court directed the State to file an affidavit with precise details of the verification, result of verification, action taken on applications in the form of a table and submit the same.

Case: AJOY GHOSH v STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

Case No: WPA(P)/588/2023