In Madhya Pradesh, authorities have arrested six government employees, including teachers and other staff, for allegedly securing jobs through forged Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates. The state, which has the highest tribal population in India, is intensifying its crackdown on such fraudulent practices.
The accused who have been formally charged are:
Sitaram
Jawahar Singh
Sarla Manjhi
Rajesh Kumar
Kusum Manjhi
Sunita Rawat
These six educators, including three women, were identified and charged following an investigation led by the Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force (MPSTF) in Gwalior.
Apart from the arrested individuals, 19 more government officials from various departments such as education, healthcare, policing, and revenue are currently under investigation for similar allegations of using fake caste certificates.
The probe began after a complaint was lodged with Special Director General Pankaj Srivastava. An 11-member Special Investigation Team, headed by Superintendent of Police Rajesh Bhadauria, is actively pursuing leads.
Many of the accused have held government positions for over a decade, hinting at an organised network that forged documents and bypassed verification processes. Most fake certificates reportedly originated from the Gwalior-Chambal region, previously notorious for criminal activities and recently linked to the Aadhaar-based Police Constable Recruitment scam.
Officials expect further arrests as the inquiry progresses.
