Sitapur: A fresh case of appointments secured on the basis of forged documents has surfaced in the Basic Education Department, leading to the dismissal of 13 assistant teachers. The action follows a confidential verification drive conducted under the 12,460 teacher recruitment process, in which the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) certificates of the accused were found to be fake. The department has initiated proceedings to register criminal cases against all 13 accused teachers.
Termination Orders Issued After Verification
District Basic Education Officer Akhilesh Pratap Singh issued termination orders on Friday after the verification report confirmed discrepancies in the documents submitted at the time of appointment. During scrutiny, the TET certificates of the accused teachers were found to be invalid. Show-cause notices were served, seeking explanations, but none of the accused could furnish satisfactory proof to validate their credentials.
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Phased Probes Uncover Multiple Forgery Cases
The case is linked to the 2024 recruitment drive under which around 1,100 assistant teachers were appointed in the district. Following the appointments, the department began phased verification of academic records. In the first phase, nearly 500 teachers’ documents were examined, and 16 were found to have submitted forged certificates. In some cases, TET certificates were fake, while in others, D.El.Ed credentials were found to be invalid. After confirmation, they were dismissed in April 2025 and criminal cases were registered.
In the second phase, documents of the remaining nearly 600 teachers were verified. During this scrutiny, 24 more teachers were found to have submitted forged academic records. They were initially suspended and later removed from service, followed by registration of FIRs. The repeated detection of forged credentials prompted the department to intensify scrutiny and order a fresh confidential verification of all teachers appointed under the same recruitment batch.
13 More TET Certificates Declared Invalid
In the latest round of checks, the TET certificates of 13 more teachers were found to be forged. According to departmental sources, original records were sent to the concerned examination authorities and universities for authentication. The verification reports declared the certificates invalid. A final notice was issued to the accused teachers, but none could provide legally valid documentation in their defence.
Action Across Sakran, Pisawan and Other Blocks
The latest action covers six teachers from Sakran block, three from Pisawan block, two from Hargaon block, and one each from Mishrikh and Biswan blocks. The department is now preparing to file cases against all 13 accused under sections related to cheating, forgery and securing government employment through fraudulent means.
Officials maintained that a zero-tolerance approach is being adopted against those who obtained jobs through forged documents. They stated that maintaining transparency in the recruitment process and safeguarding the integrity of the education system remains the department’s top priority. Further verification exercises may continue, and strict action will follow if additional irregularities come to light.
The repeated dismissals have created a stir within the department. While authorities assert that the drive aims to protect the interests of genuinely selected candidates, questions are also being raised over lapses in the initial screening process. Attention is now focused on how swiftly the criminal proceedings move forward and when accountability in the broader recruitment mechanism will be firmly established.
About the author – Ayesha Aayat is a law student and contributor covering cybercrime, online frauds, and digital safety concerns. Her writing aims to raise awareness about evolving cyber threats and legal responses.
