Fake caste claims for govt jobs exposed:Accused of posing as tribals; teacher misused Aadhaar documents

Cases of fake caste certificates used to obtain government jobs have again come into focus in Madhya Pradesh. The issue surfaced during the Assembly Budget Session, where opposition leaders raised concerns about people securing jobs meant for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) through fraudulent certificates. According to the state government, more than 350 cases of government jobs obtained using fake caste or disability certificates have been detected in the last 10 years. Of these, 232 cases are still under investigation, while 24 officials have already been found guilty. Meanwhile, investigations reveal that over 7,000 cases of suspected fake caste certificates have been pending with the state scrutiny committee for nearly 15 years, and more than 17,000 similar cases are pending in courts. Political row over caste certificates The controversy comes at a time when allegations have also been raised against Gautam Tetwal, a minister of state in Madhya Pradesh. He has been accused of contesting elections from a reserved Scheduled Caste seat using a fake caste certificate. A petition against him has been filed in the Indore High Court, and the matter is currently under hearing. During the Assembly session, Congress MLA Hiralal Alawa also highlighted the issue of people obtaining government jobs through fake caste certificates. Case 1: Teacher accused of posing as tribal In one case reported from Alirajpur, members of the tribal community submitted a complaint to the district administration alleging that a primary school teacher had falsely claimed tribal identity. According to the complaint, Sharmila Solanki, a teacher posted at a primary school in Chhoti Bankhad since 2022–23, allegedly obtained an ST caste certificate by falsely declaring herself as the daughter of a tribal man. Fraud allegedly going on for 11 years Complainants claim the alleged fraud is not recent. Before becoming a teacher, Sharmila reportedly worked as an Anganwadi worker for nearly 11 years using the same caste certificate, thereby receiving benefits reserved for ST candidates. Man named as father files police complaint The most surprising development came when the man listed as Sharmila’s father in the caste certificate filed a complaint himself. Surtan Solanki, a resident of Umri village, told police that his documents were used without his knowledge to create the certificate. In his complaint, he stated that his Aadhaar card, ration card, family ID and land records were misused. He alleged that Sharmila and her real father Pratap Singh Pawar used his documents to falsely show him as her father and obtain the tribal caste certificate. Surtan has demanded a police investigation and action against those responsible for the alleged fraud. Case 2: Fake certificate allegedly used in Anganwadi recruitment Another complaint has been filed from Borjhad Gram Panchayat, where a woman named Lakshmi allegedly tried to obtain an Anganwadi job using a fake ST certificate. According to the complaint: Complainants argue that under existing rules, a child’s caste is determined by the father’s caste. However, Lakshmi allegedly used her mother’s tribal status to obtain an ST certificate and apply for the job. Revenue records cited To support their claim, complainants referred to revenue records, which show agricultural land registered in Valchand’s name in Borjhad village. They say this proves that Lakshmi’s father belongs to the Kumhar community and that incorrect information may have been provided while obtaining the caste certificate. Tribal community demands action Representatives of the tribal community have demanded a fair and time-bound investigation into both cases. They have urged the administration to: Community members say the issue is not just about a few jobs but about protecting the constitutional rights of tribal communities. Probe completed, but no action yet According to Virendra Baghel, SDM of Jobat, a three-member committee was formed to investigate the complaints. He said the committee has already completed its inquiry and submitted its report to the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) office about one and a half months ago. However, no action has been taken yet, leading to allegations from tribal groups that the administration is moving too slowly despite the seriousness of the allegations. Thousands of cases pending for years The state government has set up a State-Level Scrutiny Committee to verify caste certificates of government employees and public representatives. The committee is currently headed by E. Ramesh Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Scheduled Caste Department. Government rules state that such cases should be investigated within three months, but many cases have been pending for 14–15 years. At the same time, over 17,000 cases related to suspicious caste certificates in government jobs are pending in courts. Why cases remain unresolved for decades Officials say the problem partly stems from older rules. Because many different authorities had the power to issue certificates, records were not maintained in a centralized manner. Before 1996, there was no standardized application format or record-keeping system, which has made verification of old caste certificates extremely difficult today.