NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to verify the authenticity of an advocate’s degree following Magadh University’s claim that his educational certificates were forged.
A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan acted on an appeal challenging a decision by the Bar Council of India’s disciplinary committee concerning the matter.
The court had earlier noted a letter from the controller of examinations at Magadh University, Bodh Gaya, stating that the lawyer’s marksheet and B.Com degree were “forged and not issued by the university.”
Subsequently, the apex court asked the lawyer to submit photocopies of the degrees he claimed to hold in commerce and law. In response, the lawyer provided a photocopy of his Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Magadh University, reportedly earned in August 1991. He argued that university records had been damaged, making verification difficult.
The bench stated on September 15: “We deem it appropriate to direct the CBI, Delhi, to investigate and ascertain whether the degree claimed by the petitioner, having passed the B.Com examination from Magadh University in 1991, is genuine or forged.”
The court instructed the CBI to appoint an officer to probe the matter and submit a report by November 3.
