Rich man in dock for creating false identity to admit son in reputable school in EWS quota

NEW DELHI: A rich father’s dream to provide education to his kids in prestigious schools has landed him in trouble with a criminal case being lodged against him for allegedly creating a false identity by showing himself to be from a poor family to get his son admitted to a reputable school here under the economically weaker section (EWS) quota.

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The Delhi High Court granted anticipatory bail to the man in a case of alleged cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy under the IPC. An FIR was lodged on a complaint on behalf of the private school alleging that the man had illegally changed his son’s name and also changed the father’s name as well as residential address, showing himself to be from a poor family, and got the child admitted in nursery class under the EWS quota in 2019.

Besides, the child was also admitted to another reputed private school here. The police, in its status report, said that on various occasions the child had objected to being addressed by the other name and insisted everyone to call him by his real name and also revealed his parents’ real names.

During the investigation, it was revealed that a person used to regularly pick up the child from the school on a bike and take him to a distance where the minor’s high-end cars were parked and then he was dropped in the car to his actual house in Delhi’s posh area.

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The police argued that due to the forged admission of the petitioner’s son, an actual EWS category student was deprived of getting admission to the prestigious school here, which is a choice of institution for bureaucrats to get their kids admitted.

Justice Anu Malhotra said the aspect as to whether or not there has been any offence punishable under Sections 419 (cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document as genuine), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, by the applicant father is wholly a matter of trial.

The court said there was nothing to indicate that the man would flee from justice in a capacity to influence the prosecution witnesses. It said that in the event of arrest, the man shall be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs one lakh and directed him not to leave the country and appear before the trial court as and when required.

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The high court also directed the man to always keep his mobile phone on and drop a pin on the Google map to ensure that his location is available to the investigating officer.