In a significant crackdown on corruption in the education sector, the Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has busted an organized racket involving the use of forged Diploma in Education (D.Ed.) marksheets to secure government teaching positions in state-run schools. The scam, which came to light through a confidential tip-off received months ago by the STF’s Gwalior unit, highlights deep-rooted vulnerabilities in the teacher recruitment and verification processes. Aspirants allegedly paid up to ₹5 lakh per marksheet to racketeers, who fabricated documents in the name of the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE), Bhopal, complete with fake verification reports to bypass departmental checks. These teachers had been serving in government schools for years, drawing salaries and benefits under false pretenses, raising concerns about the integrity of public education hiring.
The fraud extended beyond D.Ed. to some Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) marksheets, with the gang altering original MPBSE reports by attaching counterfeit confirmations claiming the candidates had passed. This allowed unqualified individuals to infiltrate the system, potentially compromising educational quality in affected districts.
How the Scam Was Uncovered
The investigation was triggered by intelligence inputs suggesting widespread use of fake degrees in teacher appointments. A five-member STF team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Praveen Kumar Baghel under Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Singh Bhadauria and Special Director General of Police (STF) Pankaj Kumar Srivastava, conducted a discreet probe. They cross-verified documents against MPBSE records, revealing that the marksheets were either never issued or belonged to unrelated individuals with matching serial numbers. The education department’s initial verification failures were exposed when racketeers tampered with official reports. After months of inquiry, the STF registered the FIR on November 12, 2025, at the STF Police Station in Bhopal (Crime No. 15/2025).
Key Accused Teachers
The initial FIR names eight teachers, all from Gwalior district, who were directly implicated in using the forged documents:
- Gandharv Singh Rawat
- Sahab Singh Kushwaha
- Brijesh Roriya
- Mahendra Singh Rawat
- Lokendra Singh
- Ruby Kushwaha
- Ravindra Singh Rana
- Arjun Singh Chauhan
These individuals’ appointments are in the process of termination, with some reportedly going underground post-FIR, while others continue attending schools. The STF has vowed to recover salaries drawn fraudulently.
Charges Filed
The accused face serious charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC):
- Section 420: Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.
- Section 468: Forgery for the purpose of cheating.
- Section 471: Using as genuine a forged document.
- Section 120-B: Criminal conspiracy.
These provisions target both the act of fraud and the organized collusion involved.
Districts and Deployment Details
The fraudulent teachers were deployed across several districts in the Gwalior-Chambal region and beyond, where they had been working undetected for extended periods:
- Gwalior (primary hub, home to most accused).
- Morena.
- Shivpuri.
- Indore.
- Other nearby districts in the Chambal division.
This regional concentration suggests the gang’s operations were localized but networked.
Broader Scope of the Probe
The STF’s examination covered 34 suspicious teacher appointments, with all D.Ed. marksheets proven fake. While FIRs have been filed against the eight primary accused, investigations into the remaining 26 suspects—including additional teachers, middlemen, and potential departmental insiders—are ongoing. Further FIRs are expected once verifications conclude. The scam’s scale points to systemic issues, with the STF estimating dozens more cases could emerge as the probe widens.
Gang Involvement and Modus Operandi
This is the handiwork of a sophisticated, organized gang comprising racketeers, fake education institute operators, agents, and intermediaries who manufactured and sold the marksheets for hefty sums. The process involved:
- Creating high-quality forgeries mimicking MPBSE formats.
- Fabricating verification letters from education offices.
- Colluding with insiders to approve tampered reports during recruitment.
- Distributing documents to desperate job seekers via a supply chain across districts.
The STF suspects the network extends to printing presses and corrupt officials, and raids are underway to dismantle it fully. This mirrors similar frauds in Madhya Pradesh, such as fake ST certificate rackets earlier in 2025.
Departmental Lapses and Implications
The scam underscores glaring lapses in the education department’s verification mechanisms, including superficial document checks and failure to cross-reference with MPBSE in real-time. Alleged collusion by officials who overlooked red flags has prompted calls for an internal audit. The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a statewide review of teacher credentials to prevent recurrence, emphasizing digital verification tools. Critics argue this erodes trust in public hiring and diverts opportunities from qualified candidates, exacerbating teacher shortages in rural areas.