In a case that has sent shockwaves through academic and legal circles, the Chief Judicial Magisterial Court at Nagpur has granted regular bail to Ratnababu s/o Anandrao Mekatoti of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, who was accused in a sensational RTMNU e-signature forgery case involving the alleged digital replication of the Vice-Chancellor’s E-sign to generate fake degree certificates and transcripts.
The case, registered under FIR No. 0497/2024 at Ambazari Police Station, invoked serious provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including Sections 318(4), 336(2), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 339, and 3(5).
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04Oct 2025
While co-accused Ramankumar Sitaramalu Bangaru was arrested on the spot and remained in custody for nearly two months, Mekatoti was arrested a full year later, on 30 October 2025, despite no fresh evidence surfacing.
The defence, led by Adv. Munish R. Perke, assisted by Adv. Sayyad Shoaib Ali and Legal Intern Mr. Kartik Thakur, argued that the applicant was merely accompanying the co-accused for document submission and had no knowledge of any digital forgery or misuse of the E-sign.
Highlighting the inordinate delay in arrest and absence of direct linkage, the defence’s submissions persuaded the Court to grant regular bail on 3 November 2025.
The order once again raises questions over security lapses and procedural lapses within RTMNU, as well as the growing trend of such scams spreading its web across states of India.
