Two Ghaziabad Students Forge DM Order To Get School Shut Fearing Punishment From Teachers

Two minor students of Government Inter College in Sector 12 have been detained in Ghaziabad for allegedly forging an order signed by the district magistrate. The two students wanted to escape punishment from teachers. Hence, they came up with an idea to forge papers and declare a holiday for December 23 and December 24. The duo had not completed their practical projects in time.

On Monday, the crime branch picked up the two teenagers, one 15-year-old and another 16-year-old. They were produced before the juvenile justice board on Tuesday.

A copy of the purported order attracted the attention of the Noida administration after it went viral on social media and drew sharp reactions from parents and schools.

The administration soon clarified that the order was fake and schools would remain open as usual on December 23. Extreme cold conditions and protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act had prompted the district administration to announce closure of schools last week. Classes were supposed to resume from Monday.

BCCL/Representational Image

The students were apprehended following a criminal complaint lodged by the district magistrate¡¯s stenographer at Sector 20 police station. The complaint mentioned that the fake order had gone viral and ¡°caused panic¡± because it contained the signature of the district magistrate.

The forgery was initially thought to be the handiwork of some anti-social. But a preliminary investigation apparently found that the two students had purportedly forged the order so that they did not have to submit practical files by December 23.

The teenagers apparently made changes to an old order issued by the district magistrate. ¡°They used a mobile application ¡ª PicsArt ¡ª to edit an old order issued by the DM. They said they wanted to delay re-opening of the inter-college as they had not completed their projects in time. The students are not professional criminals. They simply did this hoping to delay the college,¡± said a police officer privy to the investigation.

BCCL/Representational Image

An FIR was registered against unknown persons on Monday night on a complaint by the district magistrate¡¯s stenographer, Rakesh Kumar, under IPC sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 500 (punishment for defamation) and Section 66 of the IT Act.

Rajvir Singh Chauhan, the SHO of Sector 20 police station, said the students had been apprehended and produced before the JJB on Tuesday afternoon. They have been sent to a 14-day judicial remand.

As for a reaction, district magistrate BN Singh said the complaint was lodged as the fake order had been circulated. ¡°The law has to take its own course,¡± he added.

Sources said the students had repeatedly apologised for what they did and promised before the police officers not to repeat the mistake. They had apparently told the cops they did not realise the gravity of forging the order by the district magistrate. They were crying inside the police station and pleading before the cops to let them go while being taken to the JJB for a hearing.