The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court quashed proceedings concerning a forged permanent resident certificate used in police recruitment because the material did not establish the applicant’s knowledge or reason to believe that it was forged, as required by Section 471 RPC.
Judge / Bench — Justice Sanjay Dhar
Investigation attributed its preparation to his grandmother and a Patwari when he was thirteen; evidence showed that he had been brought up in Akhnoor by his grandmother, a permanent resident. The certificate’s falsity and its subsequent use were insufficient without the mental element. For defence counsel, the ruling highlights the need to separate proof of forgery, proof of use and proof of dishonest or fraudulent use with the requisite knowledge.
Case — Ankush Sharma v. UT of J&K and another · CRM(M) 399/2022 · 7 October 2026 · Jammu wing
Advocates appearing — Petitioner — Mr. Achal Sharma, Advocate. Respondents — Mr. Pawan Dev Singh, Dy. AG.