NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE TRUST HAVING ITS OFFICE vs STATE OF UTTARAKHAND

UKHC010182332026

2026:UHC:9449-DB

Office Notes,
reports,
orders or
proceedings
or directions
and
Registrar’s
order with
Signatures
SL.
Date

No.
COURT’S OR JUDGE’S ORDERS


WPPIL/144/2026


National Public Service Trust --Petitioner
Versus
State of Uttarakhand & Others --Respondents

Hon’ble Manoj Kumar Tiwari, A.C.J.
Hon’ble Subhash Upadhyay, J.
Ms. Prabha Naithani, Advocate, for the
petitioner.
Mr. B.P.S. Mer, Standing Counsel, for
the State.
Mr. Piyush Garg, Senior Advocate, for
the respondent no. 5.
Mr. Shailendra Nauriyal, Advocate, for
the respondent no. 8 and 9.

(2) By means of this writ petition, filed in
public interest, petitioner has sought the
following reliefs:
“i. Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction for

State-wide verification, from the formation of the State of
Uttarakhand onwards, of all Freedom Fighter along with their
Dependent Certificates used for admissions, public employment,
reservation or other public benefits, along with their foundational
domicile, genealogical, caste/category and revenue records, and for
consequential cancellation, recovery, criminal and departmental
action wherever fraud is established;

ii. Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction for
verification of the domicile, caste/category, Freedom Fighter
Dependent and other eligibility/reservation certificates of candidates
comprising the 195 Round-I and 329 Round-II entries identified in
Annexure Nos. 7 and 8, after de-duplication, and for consequential
action in accordance with law wherever fraud or ineligibility is
established.

iii. Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction
entrusting to the Central Bureau of Investigation, under the
supervision of this Hon'ble Court, investigation into the fraudulent
procurement, issuance, verification and use of domicile,
caste/category, Freedom Fighter Dependent, identity and other
eligibility/reservation certificates in Uttarakhand NEET-UG
Counselling, 2026, including existing FIRs and the role of
beneficiaries, intermediaries/CSC operators, public authorities,
counselling/University officials and all other persons involved;”

(3) Petitioner contends that in NEET-UG
Counselling-2026 alone, out of 24 candidates,

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who claimed benefit of reservation available to
dependants of freedom fighters, certificate of 16
candidates were found to be fake, yet such
st
candidates were permitted to participate in 1
nd
and 2 round of counselling. It is contended that
a thorough investigation of the role played by
Common Service Centres/e-Service
Operators/Revenue
Inspectors/Lekhpals/Tehsildars and other
authorities of the Revenue Department is
necessary to fix the menace of fake certificates.
Learned Counsel for the petitioner further
submits that verification of certificates,
presented by candidates claiming status of
dependants of freedom fighters, would be
necessary to ensure that persons who have
wrongly obtained benefit of reservation are
identified and appropriate action is taken against
them, as per law.

(4) Learned State Counsel was given time
to get instructions. He submits that Special
Investigation Team (SIT), consisting of six police
officers, headed by a Superintendent of Police,
has been constituted to investigate the issue of
fake certificates. He submits that investigation is
now on and based on the report of the SIT,
further necessary legal action would be taken
against the wrongdoers.
(5) Having regard to the facts and
circumstances of the case and the public interest
involved, we direct Secretary, Home and
Secretary, Revenue Department to constitute a
committee for verification of the certificates of
persons who have secured
admission/appointment against seats/posts
reserved for dependants of freedom fighters.
That committee shall also examine the role of
the Common Service Centres/e-Service
Operators/Revenue
Inspectors/Lekhpals/Tehsildars and other
government officers in issuance of fake
“dependants of freedom fighters” certificates.

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Such committee shall be constituted within four
weeks from the date of presentation of certified
copy of this order and it shall submit its report to
the State Government within six months from its
constitution. State Government shall thereafter
take appropriate legal action against the persons
who have wrongly secured
admission/appointment against seats/posts
reserved for dependants of freedom fighters.
(6) We further request the State
Government to consider constituting a
permanent committee, to which the question of
eligibility of a candidate for benefit of reservation
under the provisions of Uttarkhand Public
Services (Reservation for Scheduled Castes,
Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes)
Act, 1994 and Uttarkhand Public Services
(Reservation for Physically Handicapped,
Dependents of Freedom Fighters and Ex-
Servicemen) Act , 1993 may be referred, in case
of doubt. Such committee may also be entrusted
with the task of making random checking of
certificates, to identify persons who have
managed to wrongfully secure
admission/appointment against reserved
seats/posts in the State.
(7) Writ petition stands disposed of in
aforesaid terms.




(Subhash Upadhyay, J.) (Manoj Kumar Tiwari, A.C.J.)
15.10.2026

Pr













PRABODH
KUMAR
Digitally signed by PRABODH KUMAR DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND, ou=HIGH COURT OF
UTTARAKHAND, 2.5.4.20=3a082a00a95aff911a9559743af8f21c50602ff6eae4e61af3aeab198d46 2503, postalCode=263001, st=UTTARAKHAND,
serialNumber=0DC111E8D8CA66E16B940EFDF806ACCC1AB588052DF6FCA58 C67F3C91957BE53, cn=PRABODH KUMAR
Date: 2026.10.16 18:41:03 +05'30'

UKHC010182332026

2026:UHC:9449-DB