Nagpur: A lady teacher accused of duping the government by securing a job using a fake B.Ed. degree and the headmaster who aided her have been booked by Nagpur police. While the teacher, Gauri Goswami, remains on the run, the headmaster, Rajesh Masurkar, has been arrested and denied bail.
According to Nagpur-based RTI activist Hemant Ganjare, the duo allegedly forged B.Ed. mark sheets from two universities to deceive the authorities and earned lakhs of rupees in salaries. Multiple cases of harassment against the headmaster have also surfaced during investigations.
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Wednesday 07 Jan. 2025
The case unfolds
Gauri Rajabhau Goswami/Puri, a teacher at Sarvashree Secondary and Higher Secondary School, Dighori, Nagpur, claimed to have completed her B.Ed. in 2014 from IFTM University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Based on this degree, she illegitimately secured approval from Education Officer Omprakash Gudhe and began drawing a salary from 2014.
The RTI activist Hemant Ganjare, using the Right to Information Act, sought verification of Goswami’s degree from IFTM University and the Nagpur Secondary Education Office. The inquiry revealed that the B.Ed. the mark sheet was fake and that the university lacked recognition in the claimed year. Upon exposure, the duo forged another set of mark sheets from Gujarat but were again caught through Ganjare’s persistent efforts.
Complaints and delayed action
In June 2024, Ganjare filed a formal complaint with Secondary Education Officer Rohini Kumbhar and Hudkeshwar Police. Despite finding the documents fraudulent during the investigation, the Education Officer merely stopped Goswami’s salary instead of initiating legal action. Ganjare has accused Kumbhar of shielding Goswami and has filed a separate complaint against her.
Rohini Kumbhar also allegedly ignored orders from Deputy Director of Education, Ulhas Narad, further highlighting negligence in the matter.
New forgeries and police action
During the prolonged investigation, the lady teacher Goswami and the Headmaster Rajesh Kashinath Masurkar attempted to cover their tracks by producing another forged degree from Sabarmati University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. However, Hemant Ganjare provided concrete evidence to the Hudkeshwar Police proving the falsity of the new documents and the headmaster’s involvement.
On January 6, 2024, the Hudkeshwar Police registered an FIR under Sections 318(4), 363(3), 340(2), 212, 3 (5) of the BNS (Old IPC Sections 420, 468, 471, 177, and 34) for forgery and cheating. While Goswami evaded arrest, Masurkar was taken into custody and remanded to police custody until January 10.
Larger conspiracy suspected
Ganjare claimed that a larger gang is involved in forging documents to secure government jobs, with links to IFTM University and Sabarmati University. The previous Education Officer’s failure to verify documents has also raised concerns, warranting further investigation.
Police are now working to recover the entire salary drawn by Goswami and unravel the extent of the scam. The investigation is ongoing, with activists urging strict action against all those involved.
