Telangana HC imposes Rs 5,000 fine for fake service claim

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court imposed Rs 5,000 costs against a person who produced a fake document to get service benefits, showing that he had worked as sweeper in a police station for more than 26 years.

The court, considering that the contempt petitioner was around 70 years of age, imposed a fine. The High Court cautioned if any litigant or counsel tried to gain from the court by fraudulent misrepresentation, they would be sent to jail directly.

Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar was dealing with a contempt petition filed by Shaik Janmiya, who had in 2018 obtained favorable orders from the court on his claim of service benefits, by submitting a fake service certificate. According to him, he had worked as a sweeper with the Chilkur police of Suryapet district from 1991 to 2018 and was not being paid the salary.

The fake service certificate was allegedly approved by the then sub-inspector. Based on the same, Janmiya, approached the High Court in 2017 and the court directed the home department to make the payment within four weeks. As the orders were not complied with, Janmiya filed a contempt case.

Justice Anil Kumar, at an earlier hearing, questioned the home department for the delay in implementing the court order, and gave a last chance to the department to implement it by November 27, else the principal secretary, home, would have to appear before the court.

Ravi Gupta, home secretary, appeared before the court and submitted that on inquiry the service certificate was found to be fake and that the petitioner did not work in the police station. The court asked the department why it was silent when the court had first issued orders in 2018, and even after filing the contempt case.