A court in Surajpur has sentenced a man to three years in prison for cheating a local resident by promising him a government job in the state excise department using forged appointment documents.
The case relates to a fraudulent recruitment scam in which the accused allegedly collected money from the victim under the false promise of securing employment as a peon in the Excise Department of Chhattisgarh.
Complaint Filed in 2018
According to court records, complainant Ashok Das filed a report at Premnagar Police Station on July 10, 2018, alleging that the accused, identified as Hemant Mahant, took ₹100,000 from him in exchange for arranging a government job.
Police said the accused provided the complainant with what appeared to be an official appointment letter for the position of office attendant (peon) in the Excise Department.
However, when the complainant later contacted the department to verify the appointment, officials informed him that the recruitment order was fake and had not been issued by the department.
Police Registered Fraud and Forgery Charges
Following the complaint, police registered a criminal case under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code related to cheating, forgery, and the use of forged documents.
The accused, Hemant Mahant — son of Sundar Das Sonwani and a resident of Chandan Nagar village under Premnagar police jurisdiction — was subsequently arrested by investigators.
The investigation was led by Inspector Basant Lal Singh, who gathered documentary evidence and witness statements before filing a chargesheet in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Surajpur.
Court Proceedings and Prosecution
The prosecution in the case was conducted by Assistant District Public Prosecutors Rajesh Singh and Pankaj Kumar Bagde.
During the trial, the court examined the evidence, including the forged appointment letter and related testimonies presented by the prosecution.
After hearing arguments and reviewing the material on record, Judicial Magistrate First Class Judge Mrs. Ruchi Mishra delivered the verdict on May 13, 2026.
Court Convicts Accused Under Fraud Charges
The court found the accused guilty of cheating under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code.
As part of the sentence, the court ordered:
- Three years of rigorous imprisonment
- A monetary fine of ₹500
The judgment was based on what the court described as sufficient factual evidence and supporting documentation establishing the fraudulent conduct of the accused.
Rising Concern Over Fake Recruitment Scams
Cases involving fake government job offers and forged appointment letters have become a recurring issue in several parts of India, particularly in economically vulnerable regions where unemployed youth are often targeted with promises of secure public-sector employment.
Authorities have repeatedly urged job seekers to verify recruitment notifications directly through official government departments and avoid making payments to unauthorized intermediaries or agents claiming influence in public appointments.
Police officials said the conviction sends a strong message against recruitment-related fraud and document forgery offenses.
