Police in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand have arrested an assistant professor of a government college who is accused of obtaining his appointment on the basis of fake and forged educational certificates.

The accused, Dr Umesh Tyagi, 49, worked at Guru Gorakhnath Government College in Bithyani, Yamkeshwar. He was arrested in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on 12 November, according to reports by Amar Ujala and ETV Bharat. Uttarakhand Police announced the arrest on its official X account on 13 November.

Complaint by the college principal

The case began on 23 September 2026, when the college principal submitted a written complaint at Yamkeshwar police station seeking action against the assistant professor for allegedly securing his post with forged documents. Police registered a case under Sections 318(4), 336(3), 338 and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which cover cheating and offences relating to forgery and the use of forged documents as genuine.

Pauri Senior Superintendent of Police Sarvesh Panwar ordered an impartial investigation. A team supervised by the Kotdwar Additional Superintendent of Police and the Srinagar Circle Officer, and led by the Yamkeshwar station house officer, collected evidence before making the arrest. The accused was to be produced in court.

Published reports do not specify which certificates are alleged to be forged, when the appointment was made, or how the discrepancy was first detected. The allegations have not been tested in court, and the accused is presumed innocent unless convicted.

A wider pattern in Uttarakhand

The arrest adds to a series of Uttarakhand cases involving teaching posts and forged qualifications. ETV Bharat noted that a teacher in Rudraprayag was previously sentenced to three years in prison for obtaining a government job with a fake B.Ed degree.

Verifying faculty qualifications

For higher education appointments, recruiting bodies can reduce risk by verifying degrees directly with the awarding university's examination or registrar office, checking the university's recognition status on the UGC website, and confirming doctoral qualifications against the university's own records and Shodhganga where applicable. Verification should be repeated for qualifications claimed after appointment, such as for promotions or pay revisions.

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.

UttarakhandAssistant ProfessorForged CertificatesGovernment JobsPauri Garhwal

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