New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): The Rohini District Court has directed the Delhi Police to register an FIR and investigate allegations of cheating and other offences against three individuals, including two Assistant Professors at two Delhi University colleges.
The court has passed a direction to the SHO of Shalimar Bagh Police based on a complaint filed by Ankita Kilsen, a former assistant professor of Bharti College.
The complainant alleged that the accused took ₹100,000 from her and provided her with three fake research paper publications. She used these publications to secure a job at the college.
However, an RTI inquiry later revealed that all of these research publications were fraudulent. Following this revelation, the college terminated her employment. The complainant also alleged that the accused had provided certificates related to these publications, which were subsequently found to be fake as well.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Gaurav Katariya, after hearing the complaint and considering the Action Taken Report (ATR), directed the police to register an FIR and investigate the allegations as per law.
The Court opined that registration of an FIR is also necessitated for the purpose of tracing the financial trail of the sum of Rs. 1,00,000 paid in cash by the Complainant to the accused persons, towards publication charges and travel expenses. It can only be ascertained through police investigation, including examination of bank accounts and financial transactions of the accused persons.
While directing registration of FIR, the court observed, ” What makes an act criminally liable is the presence of a fraudulent intention behind it.
“In this case, such an intention appears evident from the very outset. The alleged making of a false document, combined with the deliberate supply of fake certificates to the complainant, collectively points to a dishonest and fraudulent state of mind on the part of all three accused, the court said.”
Accordingly, the SHO, Police Station Shalimar Bagh, is hereby directed to register an FIR based on the complaint already filed by the Complainant bearing reference of 05.11.2024 under appropriate provision of law, and to conduct a detailed and impartial investigation into the matter in accordance with law,” JMFC Katariya ordered on July 1.
The court has also called for a compliance report within 30 days. Ankita Kilsen had approached the court. Advocate Pradeep Khatri, assisted by Pranjal Bhaskar, appeared for the complainant.
It was alleged that in May 2021, she was introduced to Sanjeev Kumar through her social circle, whereupon he allegedly falsely represented himself as a Senior Medical Officer at AIIMS, Delhi. This misrepresentation was subsequently disproved through information obtained in an RTI query.
It is further alleged that in December 2021, Sanjeev Kumar facilitated a meeting between the Complainant and Assistant Professor Pramod Kumar and Luke Khanna, purportedly for the purpose of facilitating her career as an Assistant Professor.
The court noted that Luke Khann was serving as an Assistant Professor at Bharati College, University of Delhi, at the relevant time.
She further alleged that in or around May 2022, Pramod Kumar and Luke Khanna advised the Complainant that securing a teaching position as Assistant Professor would necessarily require publication of research articles in reputed academic journals.
On this pretext, they allegedly induced the Complainant to pay a sum of Rs. 1,00,000 in cash towards alleged publication charges and travel expenses, and also received the Complainant’s original research work for the purpose of publication.
Between July and December 2022, Pramod Kumar and Luke Khanna arranged and handed over to the Complainant photocopies of three purportedly published research articles along with Certificates of Publication, claiming their authenticity. Notably, Pramod Kumar was listed as a co-author in one of the said publications, which further reinforced the Complainant’s belief in the genuineness of the entire process, the court noted.
It is alleged that in February 2023, Pramod Kumar and Luke Khanna further assisted the Complainant in filling out application forms for the post of Assistant Professor. Consequent upon this, on November 23, 2023, the Complainant was selected and appointed as Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Bharati College, University of Delhi.
On August 8, 2024, the Complainant was informed by the Principal of Bharati College that an RTI Inquiry had been filed, revealing that the publication of the research articles submitted by her was allegedly fake. She was issued a show-cause notice. Subsequently, she was terminated. (ANI)
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