J&K: R&B Employee Chargesheeted in DoB Forgery Case

SRINAGAR, Dec 12: The Special Crime Wing of Crime Branch Kashmir has filed a chargesheet in FIR No. 07/2022 before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Handwara against a Public Works Department (R&B) employee accused of forging his date of birth to secure illegal regularisation, the agency said on Friday.

The chargesheet, filed on December 11, 2025, invokes RPC sections 420, 468, 471, and 201 for cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, and destruction of evidence. The case stemmed from a communication by the Public Works Department seeking an inquiry into the suspected manipulation of the date of birth of Abdul Rashid Lone, son of Mohammad Ahsan Lone of Chogal, Handwara, employed as a Helper in the R&B Division.

Preliminary inquiry revealed Lone had allegedly submitted a fake medical certificate showing his date of birth as 01-04-1968 to obtain undue regularisation. Verification of school records established his actual date of birth as 04-04-1950, exposing an 18-year discrepancy.

Crime Branch Kashmir subsequently registered a formal case and conducted a detailed probe, concluding that the accused forged and used the fake certificate in criminal conspiracy to fraudulently extend his service benefits. Officials said prima facie evidence supported charges of cheating, forgery, conspiracy, and destruction of evidence, leading to the filing of the chargesheet for judicial determination.