A Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Rohini Courts, Delhi, has directed the SHO of Police Station Shalimar Bagh to register an FIR against three persons accused of allegedly orchestrating a fake research publication racket that purportedly enabled the complainant to secure an Assistant Professor position at the University of Delhi before ultimately leading to her dismissal from service.
An application was filed under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), seeking directions for registration of an FIR after the complainant alleged that despite approaching the police, no criminal case had been registered.
According to the complaint, a former Assistant Professor at Bharati College, University of Delhi, alleged that accused falsely represented himself as a Senior Medical Officer at AIIMS, Delhi, thereby gaining her trust. Through him, she was introduced to an Assistant Professor at Dayal Singh College, and an Assistant Professor at Bharati College. They allegedly assured her that publication of research papers in reputed journals was necessary for securing a teaching position and induced her to pay ₹1 lakh towards publication charges while also handing over her original research work.
The complainant alleged that the accused later supplied photocopies of three purportedly published research papers along with publication certificates, claiming they had appeared in UGC-CARE recognised journals. Relying on these documents, she applied for teaching positions and was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Bharati College in November 2023.
The matter surfaced in August 2024 after an RTI inquiry allegedly revealed that the publications submitted by the complainant were fake. She claimed that when confronted, the accused first denied the allegations and later asserted that the articles were merely cloned copies. On personally visiting the addresses of the purported publishers in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, she allegedly found no legitimate publication offices functioning there. Subsequently, Bharati College issued her a show-cause notice and ultimately terminated her services in October 2024 after concluding that the publications were fabricated.
The complainant further alleged that one of the accused later demanded ₹25 lakh to settle the matter and ensure retention of her employment, relying on WhatsApp communications and call records in support of the allegation. She also stated that despite filing complaints before the SHO, DCP and Commissioner of Police, no FIR was registered, compelling her to approach the Magistrate.
An Action Taken Report (ATR) filed by the Investigating Officer stated that the accused had denied the allegations, no proof of payment had been produced by the complainant, and the dispute appeared to be civil in nature. The ATR also referred to a pending civil dispute involving one of the accused and the complainant’s parents.
Rejecting the police’s conclusion, the Magistrate held that the material on record prima facie disclosed cognizable offences warranting police investigation. The Court observed that if forged publication certificates had indeed been used to secure a government appointment, the allegations disclosed offences of forgery, making false documents and cheating. The Court further noted that the alleged impersonation by one accused as an AIIMS doctor appeared to have been the foundation for inducing the complainant to trust the other accused and part with money and her original research work.
The Court also held that several aspects of the allegations required statutory investigation beyond the reach of a private complainant. These included forensic examination of the publication certificates and journals, verification from the concerned universities and publishers, examination of electronic evidence such as WhatsApp chats, call records and the laptop allegedly used for submitting the complainant’s applications, tracing the financial trail of the alleged payment, and investigating whether similar victims existed.
Accordingly, the Court directed the SHO, Police Station Shalimar Bagh, to register an FIR on the basis of the complaint dated November 5, 2024, and conduct a fair and impartial investigation. It clarified that the police would not be bound by the penal provisions suggested by the complainant and that registration of an FIR would not automatically warrant arrest. The investigating agency was directed to submit a compliance report regarding registration of the FIR within 30 days.