EOW Kashmir Secures Conviction in Recruitment Fraud Case

Srinagar, Jul 29: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir, formerly known as the Crime Branch Kashmir, has secured the conviction of a man in a long-pending recruitment fraud case involving the use of a forged educational certificate to obtain a government job. According to an official statement, the Court of the Special Mobile Magistrate, 13th Finance Commission/Railway Magistrate, Srinagar, convicted Nazir Ahmad Malik, a resident of Bunpora Trehgam in Kupwara district, for securing appointment as a constable in the 9th Battalion of the Indian Reserve Police (IRP) by submitting a fake 10+2 qualification certificate. During the investigation, the forged certificate was seized and sent to the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) for verification. The Board confirmed that the document was fake, providing crucial evidence that strengthened the prosecution's case. The court sentenced the accused to three years' rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹1,000 under Section 420 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) for the offence of cheating. In default of payment of the fine, he will undergo an additional 15 days of simple imprisonment. The court also awarded him two years' simple imprisonment under Section 471 RPC for using a forged document as genuine. It directed that both sentences would run concurrently. Reaffirming its commitment to combating economic offences, the EOW said it would continue taking strict legal action against those involved in recruitment fraud, document forgery and similar crimes. The agency also urged the public not to use forged or fabricated documents for employment or official purposes, warning that such offences carry serious legal consequences, including imprisonment, financial penalties and lasting damage to one's reputation and career.