Supreme Court Rules Against Automatic 'Fake Certificate Holder' Label for Students
Summary
The Supreme Court has ruled that students cannot automatically be branded as fake certificate holders or corrupt simply because a school board later turns out to be unrecognized or illegal. It acquitted Indresh Jha of corruption charges, saying prosecutors must prove a forged certificate or knowing use of a fake one.
Key Points
- The Supreme Court set a legal principle that later disputes over an institution’s legality do not by themselves make a student’s certificate criminally fake.
- Indresh Jha of the Nepal Drinking Water Corporation was fully acquitted after the full bench overturned the special court’s corruption verdict.
- The court said criminal liability requires proof that the certificate was forged or knowingly used as fake, not just administratively invalid.
- The verdict ordered cancellation of the fine and refund of the bail amount, while noting the certificate remains invalid for administrative recognition.
