Police in Almora, Uttarakhand, have registered an FIR on charges of fraud and forgery against three former assistant teachers who were dismissed after their teacher eligibility certificates were found to be fake, Amar Ujala reported on 1 November. The case follows a complaint from the district education department.

The three had been appointed on 27 January 2026 to government primary schools in the Bhainsiyachhana block, after a recruitment drive advertised in November 2025, ETV Bharat and Amar Ujala reported. Each had submitted a 2024 Uttarakhand Teacher Eligibility Test (UTET) certificate.

What the board found

After complaints, the education department sent the certificates to the Uttarakhand Board of School Education in Ramnagar. ETV Bharat reported that the board's report of 6 July 2026 said the roll numbers on the certificates had never been issued, that the candidates did not appear in its master tabulation register, and that the QR codes on the certificates and marksheets were fake.

A departmental committee concluded on 14 July that the allegation was proven. According to ETV Bharat, the teachers submitted resignations citing personal reasons, but officials refused to accept them while the inquiry was pending. District Basic Education Officer Dr Ravi Mehta then dismissed all three.

Status of the case

In October, Almora Kotwali in-charge Yogesh Chandra Upadhyay told ETV Bharat that police had begun an inquiry. Amar Ujala reported on 1 November that an FIR had now been registered and quoted Circle Officer Balwant Singh Rawat as saying evidence was being gathered and a chargesheet would follow if the allegations were borne out. No arrests have been reported. The three are accused, not convicted.

The case is one of several in recent weeks in which teachers' eligibility certificates have been questioned after appointment, including the statewide verification now under way in Uttar Pradesh.

How recruiters can check eligibility certificates

Recruiting offices can avoid post-appointment dismissals by sending every TET or UTET certificate to the issuing board for confirmation before joining, checking roll numbers against the board's own results records, and treating QR codes as unverified unless they open on the board's official domain.

Sources

This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.

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