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The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has taken serious note of an allegation that a fake high school marksheet, suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence, was submitted before the court. Expressing strong concern over the submission of fabricated documents in judicial proceedings, the court directed the Lucknow Police Commissioner to order a detailed investigation into the matter. A competent officer of the Deputy Commissioner of Police rank has been ordered to lead the probe. While describing the document prima facie as the “fruit of a poisonous tree,” the bench observed that presenting forged, tampered, or AI-generated records in court is a grave offence that undermines the dignity of the judiciary and weakens public trust in the justice system.
A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Babita Rani raised questions over the authenticity of the document during a hearing and instructed the police to identify those responsible for preparing and filing the alleged fake marksheet. The court also asked investigators to examine all aspects of possible collusion and the involvement of other individuals before submitting a comprehensive inquiry report.
One-Year Discrepancy in Date of Birth Triggers Probe
The issue came to light during the hearing of a petition filed by Neha Pandey and another petitioner. The petitioners had alleged police harassment following their marriage at an Arya Samaj temple in Aliganj, Lucknow, on September 4, and sought judicial intervention for protection.
During the proceedings, the bench noticed a discrepancy in the date of birth of the second petitioner across the submitted records. While the high school marksheet attached to the petition recorded the date of birth as July 29, 2006, the marriage certificate issued by the Arya Samaj temple stated it as July 29, 2005. The one-year difference prompted the court to doubt the genuineness of the educational certificate.
Rather than treating the mismatch as a routine clerical error, the bench stressed the need to examine the possibility of deliberate tampering. It was on this basis that the court suspected the marksheet might have been created with the help of artificial intelligence. Whether the document was actually generated through AI or altered by other means will be established only after the police investigation concludes.
Court Flags Threat to Judicial Credibility
The bench remarked that submitting forged or manipulated records before a court amounts to serious interference with the judicial process. Attempts to mislead the court using fabricated papers can damage the credibility of the justice delivery system. Calling the document prima facie the “fruit of a poisonous tree,” the judges underscored that the authenticity of records placed in judicial proceedings is of paramount importance.
The court directed the police to ascertain whether any individual, institution, or external agency played a role in fabricating the marksheet. Investigators have also been asked to verify whether any checks were conducted on the document before it was filed in court. The matter has been scheduled for its next hearing on November 12.
Interim Relief for Three in Fake Law Degree Case
In a separate development at the Allahabad High Court, three accused persons facing charges of enrolling as advocates with the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh using alleged fake academic degrees were granted interim anticipatory bail. A single bench of Justice Rajeev Lochan Shukla passed separate orders granting relief to Prayagraj residents Shyam Singhal, Harish Chandra, and Ram Krishna Mishra, against whom an FIR is registered at the Civil Lines police station in Prayagraj.
The trio is accused of securing enrollment as advocates on the basis of forged degrees and marksheets. Seeking anticipatory bail, the defence argued that educational marksheets and degrees cannot be classified as “valuable security” under Section 338 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Finding merit prima facie in the defence submission, the court granted interim anticipatory bail to the three accused pending further proceedings.
