Karnataka: Lost marksheet leads to 40-year fake government job scam

According to the police, the case dates back to 1982.

Bengaluru: A shocking case of identity fraud and government job impersonation spanning nearly four decades has come to light in Bengaluru, where a man allegedly secured employment in the Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB) using another person’s educational documents.

The Rajajinagar Police have registered a first information report (FIR) against two individuals following a complaint by BESCOM vigilance officials.

According to the police, the case dates back to 1982 when M Rachaiah, a resident of Malavalli in Mandya district, had attended an interview for the post of lineman at the Karnataka Electricity Board office in Shivamogga.

However, the recruitment interview was reportedly cancelled that day. While returning home disappointed, Rachaiah allegedly forgot his Grade 7 marksheet at the office premises.

Investigators said the marksheet was later found by Bommegowda, a resident of Nagamangala, who had also come seeking employment. Police allege that Bommegowda used Rachaiah’s documents and identity to apply for the government job. He eventually secured permanent employment in 1992.

Bommegowda changed names in official records

What stunned the investigators the most was that the impersonation allegedly continued for decades without detection. In 2003, Bommegowda reportedly filed an affidavit before a court declaring that his real name was Bommegowda and not Rachaiah, after which departmental records were modified accordingly.

The fraud came to light only in 2019, nearly 37 years later, when the real Rachaiah reportedly discovered the truth. Instead of approaching the police immediately, both parties allegedly settled the matter privately before village elders in Malavalli.

As part of the settlement, Bommegowda is said to have agreed to pay Rachaiah between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh annually to avoid legal action. Police sources said Bommegowda also handed over his entire Rs 10 lakh gratuity amount to Rachaiah after retiring in 2022.

Tensions resurfaced, both booked

However, tensions reportedly resurfaced when Rachaiah demanded half of Bommegowda’s monthly pension amount of Rs 65,224. When Bommegowda refused, Rachaiah approached the BESCOM vigilance department with a formal complaint.

Following an internal inquiry, BESCOM officials uncovered the alleged fraud and lodged a police complaint. Based on the complaint, Rajajinagar Police have registered a case against Bommegowda for cheating and identity theft.

Rachaiah has also been booked for allegedly concealing the crime for financial gain, while a retired engineer named Subhash has been named for allegedly mediating the illegal settlement between the two men.