Palakkad, 29 August (H.S.): Vadakkencherry police have registered a case against a DYFI leader for allegedly securing a temporary job at Puthucode grama panchayat using a forged degree certificate and BCom mark list and remaining in service for nearly five years.

The accused, K.V. Ganapathy of Kizhakkegramam in Puthucode, is reportedly the president of a local DYFI unit. He had worked as an accounts-cum-IT assistant under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme at the panchayat from July 2021 to July 2026.

After his employment contract expired in July, the panchayat governing committee decided not to renew it. Ganapathy subsequently challenged the decision in court and obtained an interim stay in his favour.

The legal challenge prompted the panchayat secretary to scrutinise the educational certificates submitted by Ganapathy at the time of his appointment. The secretary wrote to the University of Calicut seeking verification of the degree certificate and BCom mark list.

In its official response, the university reportedly confirmed that Ganapathy had been enrolled as a student but had neither completed the course nor obtained a degree. Following receipt of the verification report, the panchayat secretary lodged a complaint with Vadakkencherry police.

Police booked Ganapathy under Sections 316(2), 318(4), 340 and 336(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on charges relating to cheating, forgery and using forged documents as genuine.

Ganapathy allegedly went into hiding after learning that the case had been registered. Police said efforts were under way to trace and arrest him.

Meanwhile, the DYFI and party leadership said Ganapathy was expelled from both organisations immediately after the alleged fraud came to their attention. Further investigation is continuing into how the documents were prepared and accepted during recruitment. Police are examining whether anyone else assisted him in the process.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman