A coordinated attempt to secure government employment through forged qualifications has come to light during the Border Home Guard recruitment in Rajasthan's Barmer district. Multiple candidates submitted fraudulent documents related to sports, technical training, computer literacy, and scout programs to secure undeserved bonus marks. The illegal scheme unraveled when departmental authorities subjected every submitted credential to rigorous cross-verification with the issuing boards and institutions. Following the confirmation of fraud, Deep Singh, the Additional Administrative Officer of the Barmer Border Home Guard, lodged a formal written complaint naming 17 candidates at the local Kotwali police station, prompting an immediate criminal probe.
Selection Process Relied Entirely on Bonus Points
The 2022 recruitment framework for Home Guard volunteers did not involve any conventional written examination. Instead, candidate selection was determined strictly by physical fitness assessments combined with bonus scores assigned to distinct specialized qualifications. Exploiting this direct-weightage mechanism, the accused applicants submitted bogus certificates from sports federations, scout programs, Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), and computer training academies to boost their total tally and lock their positions on the merit list. In the initial phase of screening, the bogus documents were credited with marks, allowing these candidates to surge forward in the ranking. However, when the department initiated cross-checks with the respective issuing boards, every single certificate submitted by these 17 applicants turned out to be completely fabricated.
Category Manipulation Uncovered During Cross-Checks
Detailing the inquiry, Home Guard Commandant Mahendra Singh explained that the rigorous document verification revealed widespread fabrication across sports, ITI, computer, and scout certificates. Furthermore, the scrutiny uncovered category fraud committed by an applicant seeking unauthorized reservation benefits. The investigation verified that the candidate genuinely belonged to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, yet presented a counterfeit certificate claiming Scheduled Caste (SC) status to gain an unlawful competitive edge in the recruitment roster.
Police Expand Investigation to Track Document-Forging Syndicate
Kotwali Police Station Officer Manoj Kumar stated that the police moved swiftly to register a formal case following the department's complaint. With no written screening examination in place, the entire recruitment outcome hinged on certificate points, which prompted the candidates to manipulate their scores through counterfeit paperwork. Investigators are now focused on uncovering the network and middle agents who manufactured these fake credentials for the candidates. Police teams have expanded their inquiries to track down the racket's kingpins and operators behind the illicit certificate-making operation, with questioning of the named candidates set to begin shortly.
