Nagpur: Even as the controversy over bogus teacher appointments in the city continues to simmer, a fresh case has emerged involving the alleged approval of a principal’s appointment based on forged documents. Education Officer Sanjay Dorlikar, fearing arrest in connection with the case, approached the High Court, which has now granted him interim anticipatory bail under certain conditions.
The Allegation
Gold Rate
15 May 2025
According to the prosecution, a case has been registered at the Sadar Police Station against Dorlikar under several sections of the Indian Penal Code: 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468, 471, 472, 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy). The main allegation is that Dorlikar approved the appointment of a person named Pudke as principal without verifying his documents. Pudke allegedly submitted a fake experience certificate, which was accepted without proper scrutiny.
Court’s Observation and Relief
During the hearing, the High Court noted that the FIR did not mention any direct allegations of monetary exchange or bribery against the petitioner. The court observed that while the documents were not verified before approval, custodial interrogation was not necessary in this case. Consequently, the court granted interim anticipatory bail to Dorlikar.
Box: Who is Responsible for Document Verification?
The defense counsel representing Dorlikar argued that the responsibility of verifying documents lies with the school management, not the education officer. The lawyer further claimed that the experience certificate in question bore signatures of the former principal and the management and had been validated by them, forming the basis for the approval.
Prosecution’s Stand
On the other hand, the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) opposed the bail plea, stating that the prosecution’s statement included claims that ₹8 lakh was allegedly received by Ravindra Salame for facilitating this appointment. This, according to the prosecution, is just one of several linked developments, and further investigation is required. Hence, the APP urged the court not to grant any relief to the petitioner.
The case underscores deep-rooted lapses in document verification within the education department. It remains to be seen what further revelations the ongoing investigation will uncover.
