Nagpur police have booked a teacher and a headmaster for allegedly defrauding the government by securing a job using a fake B.Ed. degree. The teacher, Gauri Goswami, is currently absconding, while the headmaster, Rajesh Masurkar, has been arrested and denied bail.
RTI activist Hemant Ganjare from Nagpur revealed that the duo reportedly forged B.Ed. mark sheets from two universities to deceive authorities and earned lakhs of rupees in salaries. During the investigation, multiple harassment complaints against the headmaster have also come to light.
The case unfolds
Gauri Rajabhau Goswami, also known as Gauri Puri, a teacher at Sarvashree Secondary and Higher Secondary School in Dighori, Nagpur, allegedly secured her position using a fraudulent B.Ed. degree. She claimed to have completed her B.Ed. in 2014 from IFTM University in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Using this degree, she obtained approval from Education Officer Omprakash Gudhe and began receiving a salary from the same year.
RTI activist Hemant Ganjare used the Right to Information Act to verify Gauri Goswami’s B.Ed. degree with IFTM University and the Nagpur Secondary Education Office. The inquiry revealed that the mark sheet was fake and that the university was not recognized in the claimed year. After this exposure, the duo attempted to cover their tracks by forging another set of mark sheets from Gujarat, but Ganjare’s relentless efforts uncovered the fraud once again.
In June 2024, Hemant Ganjare lodged a formal complaint with Secondary Education Officer Rohini Kumbhar and the Hudkeshwar Police. Although the investigation confirmed the documents were fraudulent, the Education Officer only stopped Gauri Goswami’s salary instead of pursuing legal action. Ganjare has accused Kumbhar of protecting Goswami and has filed a separate complaint against her for inaction.
Rohini Kumbhar allegedly ignored directives from Deputy Director of Education, Ulhas Narad, further underscoring negligence in handling the case.
New Forgeries and Police Action
During the investigation, Gauri Goswami and Headmaster Rajesh Masurkar attempted to cover up their fraud by submitting another forged degree from Sabarmati University, Ahmedabad. However, RTI activist Hemant Ganjare provided evidence to Hudkeshwar Police exposing the fake documents and Masurkar’s involvement.
On January 6, 2024, Hudkeshwar Police filed an FIR under Sections 318(4), 363(3), 340(2), 212, and 3(5) of the BNS (old IPC Sections 420, 468, 471, 177, and 34) for forgery and cheating. Goswami evaded arrest, while Masurkar was detained and remanded to police custody until January 10.
RTI activist Hemant Ganjare has alleged the involvement of a larger network in forging documents to secure government jobs, with potential links to IFTM University and Sabarmati University. The failure of the previous Education Officer to verify credentials has further raised suspicions, prompting calls for a deeper probe.
Police are now focusing on recovering the entire salary drawn by Gauri Goswami and uncovering the full extent of the scam. The investigation is ongoing, with activists demanding strict action against all those implicated.