The second Additional Senior Civil Judge and Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mangaluru, G.M. Lakshmi, has acquitted 46-year-old B.S. Ravindra, an Assistant Teacher of Government Higher Primary School, Guthigenur, Ballari district and another person, Mahanthesh Beerappa Poojar alias Mahanthesh, 21, of Gadag District, from the charge of using as original a fake class 8 passing certificate.
As per the chargesheet, Mahanthesh paid ₹ 1,500 to Ravindra, who issued former the class 8 passing certificate on August 1, 2009, by placing seal of the school and also forging signature of school headmaster. Mahanthesh placed this certificate as among documents before the Mangaluru Regional Transport Office for issuing learner’s driving license.
Suspecting genuineness of the document, RTO official R.D. Alameda wrote to the school headmaster, who replied that the document was fake. Following a compliant by Mr. Alameda, chargesheet was filed by Mangaluru South Police against Ravindra and Mahanthesh.
Holding that the prosecution has failed to bring froth credible evidence to prove guilt of the accused, the Magistrate said there was no proof that Mahanthesh induced Ravindra in creating the forged document.
The Magistrate noted that the compliant was filed nearly eight months after the school headmaster communicated on September 14, 2009 that the document was fake. There are not sufficient ground made out for delay in lodging the complaint, the Magistrate noted in his judgement on March 12.
Published - March 16, 2025 08:42 pm IST
