Court Acquits Candidate of Forgery Charges and Directs State to Reissue Appointment after Validity of Educational Certificates Confirmed
In a landmark judgment delivered on August 31, 2026, the Tripura High Court quashed the cancellation of an appointment offer issued to Ms. Bulti Paul for the post of Graduate Teacher by the Directorate of Secondary Education, Tripura. The court held that the cancellation, which was based on allegations of submission of fake educational certificates, was arbitrary and illegal, especially after the petitioner was honorably acquitted of criminal charges related to forgery.
Ms. Paul had been selected for the position of Graduate Teacher through the Teachers Recruitment Board, Tripura (TRBT) following her successful performance in the Selection Test for Graduate Teacher (STGT), 2019. She holds a B.A. degree in English and a B.Ed degree from Madurai Kamaraj University, obtained through distance education. Initially, the State authorities cancelled her appointment citing a report from Madurai Kamaraj University which allegedly stated that her certificates did not match university records.
Subsequently, a criminal case was registered against Ms. Paul under Sections 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code concerning forgery and use of forged documents. However, after trial, the Learned Judicial Magistrate 1st Class, Agartala, acquitted her on August 12, 2025, on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
Further to the acquittal, Ms. Paul submitted additional verified documents from the Madurai Kamaraj University dated February 18, 2020, affirming the genuineness of her educational certificates. These included official genuineness certificates and communications sent directly from the university to the Directorate of Secondary Education, which the State respondents did not contest or counter through affidavits.
The High Court observed that the State respondents had acted arbitrarily in cancelling the offer of appointment without adequate verification and disregarded the favorable documents submitted by the petitioner. The Court also noted discriminatory treatment in denying the appointment to Ms. Paul when other candidates with similar certificates were serving under the Government of Tripura.
In its order, the Court set aside the cancellation memo dated February 15, 2020, and directed the State authorities to issue a fresh offer of appointment to Ms. Paul within three months from the date of the judgment. However, the Court clarified that no back wages would be granted as the petitioner had not performed duties during the intervening period.
This judgment reiterates the principles of fairness and due process in public employment and underscores that mere allegations unsupported by conclusive evidence cannot justify denying a candidate's legitimate right to appointment.
Bottom Line:
The cancellation of an offer of appointment based on alleged fake educational certificates was deemed arbitrary and illegal when the petitioner provided evidence of the certificates' genuineness and was honorably acquitted in a related criminal case.
Statutory provision(s):
Indian Penal Code Sections 468, 471
Bulti Paul v. State of Tripura, (Tripura) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2975272
