The Central Bureau of Investigation has launched an inquiry after eight Gramin Dak Sevaks working in the Department of Posts were dismissed for allegedly securing government employment using forged Class 10 marksheets. The irregularities were detected during a departmental credential verification drive, prompting postal authorities to formally refer the case to the federal agency. Following a formal complaint registered on September 18, the CBI filed a first information report on September 22 against the eight dismissed recruits alongside other suspected associates.
The individuals had secured their appointments during the January 2023 and July 2024 recruitment cycles after uploading self-attested academic credentials on the recruitment portal. Subsequent departmental checks with the respective state education boards confirmed that the submitted certificates were fabricated. With the authenticity of the records dismantled by the issuing authorities, postal officials promptly terminated the services of all eight employees before pursuing criminal proceedings.
Forged Credentials Procured Across Four State Education Boards
Initial findings indicate that the fabricated marksheets bore the names of education boards across four different states, specifically the Bihar School Examination Board, the Madhya Pradesh State Open School, the Jammu and Kashmir State Open, and the Jharkhand Academic Council. Investigators uncovered that the counterfeit certificates were reportedly procured by candidates for around ₹1,000 each. The nominal cost and geographic spread have led investigators to suspect an organized interstate syndicate operating behind the supply of forged educational records.
A scrutiny of candidate profiles revealed that four recruits from Morena—Manvendra Singh Sikwar, Ramakant Sharma, Pradeep Khare, and Saurabh Sharma—had submitted marksheets ostensibly issued by the Bihar School Examination Board. Tikamgarh resident Badri Prasad Yadav furnished a document attributed to the Madhya Pradesh State Open School. Devendra Singh Chauhan of Dewas and Raja Babu Ahirwar of Sagar relied on credentials under the name of Jammu and Kashmir State Open, while Siwan resident Nayan Kumar submitted a forged certificate under the Jharkhand Academic Council.
Recruits Deployed Across Jabalpur And Katni Sub-Post Offices
Before the fraud surfaced, all eight candidates had successfully joined their respective posts and were functioning in different rural branch locations across the Jabalpur and Katni divisions. Manvendra Singh was posted at Kundam, Raja Babu Ahirwar and Saurabh Sharma worked at Patan, Pradeep Khare was stationed at Kudari-Umaria Barela, and Nayan Kumar served at the Ramkhiria-Shahpura sub-post office.
The remaining candidates were deployed across several rural locations in Katni, with Badri Prasad Yadav serving at Sansarpur, Devendra Singh Chauhan at Umaria Pan, and Ramakant Sharma posted at the Mohatra sub-post office. Departmental scrutiny of their recruitment documentation ultimately triggered cross-state board checks, exposing the widespread fabrication.
Federal Agency Investigates Interstate Racket And Official Collusion
The CBI is now focusing on identifying the creators, distributors, and logistics channels behind the illicit certificates. Detectives are charting the administrative chain to assess how counterfeit documents cleared initial scrutiny during the recruitment procedures. A central objective is tracing whether these candidates accessed a centralized vendor network or independent document forgers.
The inquiry is also examining potential insider complicity within government ranks. The complaint submitted to the CBI raised concerns regarding the role of departmental employees who handled the submission and initial review of the certificates. Officials stated that while specific departmental connivance remains subject to verification, investigators are expanding their inquiry to assess whether additional candidates secured appointments using similar counterfeit documents.
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