In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has acquitted Vandana, a former student accused of forging her marksheet and revaluation notification to secure admission to BSW Part-III at Nagpur University in 1998. The bench, comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta, set aside her conviction under Sections 420 read with 511, 468, and 471 of the IPC, citing insufficient evidence to prove authorship of the alleged forgery.
The case stemmed from Vandana’s failed attempt to pass her BSW Part-I English exam, where marks were allegedly altered from 10 to 18 on the marksheet and 10 to 30 on the notification. Lower courts had convicted her, imposing sentences including simple imprisonment and fines, but acquitted co-accused college officials.
The apex court highlighted evidentiary lapses: no handwriting expert opinion, broken chain of custody as documents passed through multiple hands, unproven mens rea, and procedural violations under Section 313 CrPC where compound questions prejudiced her defense. Emphasizing that suspicion cannot replace proof beyond reasonable doubt, the SC noted the prosecution failed to establish exclusive control or knowledge of tampering by Vandana.
This verdict underscores the need for robust forensic evidence in forgery cases and protects against convictions based on visual inferences alone. The appeal, arising from a 2019 Bombay High Court order, ends a legal battle spanning over two decades
Case Details: Vandana v/s State of Maharashtra | 2025 INSC 1098
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