Court dismisses appeal by student seeking issuance of marksheet and certificate based on allegedly fake documents
In a significant ruling, the Calcutta High Court dismissed the appeal of Abhishek Maity against the West Bengal State University, upholding the university's decision to deny the issuance of a post-review marksheet and pass certificate. The Division Bench, comprising Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, ruled on March 25, 2026, that the university cannot issue documents that do not align with its official records.
The case centered around Maity, a former student of Basirhat College affiliated with the West Bengal State University, who claimed that his post-review marksheet, which purportedly increased his marks, was genuine. However, the university maintained that the marksheet did not match its records and was therefore treated as forged.
Maity, who completed his B.Sc. (Honours) in Chemistry in 2014, initially received a marksheet showing lower marks in two papers. After applying for a review, he was issued a provisional marksheet with increased scores. However, the university later informed him that these scores did not correspond with their database, leading to the withholding of his provisional certificate.
The appellant's efforts to acquire his answer scripts through the Right to Information Act, 2005, were also unsuccessful, as the university stated that such records are only preserved for six months post-publication of results. The court noted that, based on allegations of a racket within the university issuing fake documents, several officials were under criminal and disciplinary proceedings, with Maity himself being cited as a witness.
The court cited similar past cases, including that of Debjani Das, where the issuance of certificates based on inconsistent marksheets was denied. The judges emphasized that documents not reflecting the university’s official records are deemed forged and cannot be validated by the courts.
This decision underscores the importance of maintaining the integrity of academic records and the responsibility of educational institutions in ensuring the authenticity of their certifications.
Bottom Line:
University records and verification process determining authenticity of marksheets. Courts cannot direct issuance of marksheets or certificates based on documents that do not align with university's official database.
Statutory provision(s): Right to Information Act, 2005
Abhishek Maity v. West Bengal State University, (Calcutta)(DB) : Law Finder Doc id # 2872085
