In a strongly worded order, the Allahabad High Court has directed police to register a case against a petitioner and gram panchayat officials for fabricating a birth certificate to alter the petitioner’s date of birth on official records, including his passport.
A division bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Anish Kumar Gupta was hearing a writ petition filed by one Shiv Shankar Pal, who sought directions to the Regional Passport Officer for correction of his date of birth based on a fresh birth certificate issued to him on November 4, 2025. The certificate showed his date of birth as July 11, 2005.
However, the Court found the claim completely untenable. Referring to Pal’s High School Examination Certificate issued by the Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad in 2011, the judges noted that if the revised date of birth were accepted, it would imply he had taken the Class 10 examination at the age of just six years.
“This is absurd and shocking,” the bench observed, adding, “The extent of fabrication reflects the depth of corruption prevalent in the system.”
The Court also took serious note of contradictory Aadhaar records. The original Aadhaar card submitted to the passport office showed Pal’s date of birth as July 11, 1994, while the copy annexed with the writ petition displayed the same as July 11, 2005.
The bench directed the Commissioner of Police, Prayagraj, to register an FIR against both the petitioner and the concerned gram panchayat officials under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for offences of cheating and forgery. The Court warned that non-compliance with its order would attract personal accountability of the Commissioner.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on January 27, 2026.
Key Observations by the Court:
- Fabricated birth certificate was issued post facto in 2025.
- School certificate from 2011 confirmed earlier DOB as 1994.
- Attempted change would result in an implausible academic timeline.
- Aadhaar record manipulation was also evident.
- FIR to be lodged under provisions of BNS against petitioner and gram panchayat officials.
This case highlights the judiciary’s increasing intolerance towards document forgery and misuse of official processes for personal gain. It also sets a precedent for passport authorities to treat suspicious birth certificate corrections with caution.
