Former Constable Sentenced to Prison in Jammu and Kashmir Police Recruitment Fraud

File Photo

SRINAGAR, July 29 — The Economic Offences Wing Kashmir, formerly known as Crime Branch Kashmir, has secured the conviction of a man who fraudulently obtained a job in the police department using a forged qualification certificate.

A court in Srinagar sentenced Nazir Ahmad Malik, a resident of Budgam, after finding him guilty of using a fake 10+2 mark sheet to secure an appointment as a Constable in the 9th Battalion of the Indian Reserve Police. The case was adjudicated by the Court of Special Mobile Magistrate in Srinagar.The fraud came to light during an investigation when law enforcement officials seized the qualification certificate submitted by Malik and sent it to the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education for official verification.

The educational board confirmed that the document was fabricated and had not been issued by their office. Based on the evidence presented by the prosecution, the court convicted Malik under Section 420 of the Ranbir Penal Code for cheating, sentencing him to three years of rigorous imprisonment alongside a fine of 1,000 rupees, with an additional 15 days of simple imprisonment in case of default.

The court also sentenced him to two years of simple imprisonment under Section 471 of the Ranbir Penal Code for using a forged document as genuine, ordering both sentences to run concurrently.

Following the verdict, the Economic Offences Wing Kashmir issued a public warning against the use of fabricated documents for employment or official purposes, reiterating that such unlawful actions carry severe legal consequences including imprisonment, monetary fines, and long-term damage to individual career prospects. Officials emphasized that this conviction reflects an ongoing effort to curb recruitment fraud and document forgery across the region.