Hyderabad: A major forgery case involving fake Fire No Objection Certificates (Fire NOCs) submitted to the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education has come to light, with authorities booking eight private junior colleges for allegedly forging the signature of HYDRA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath.
According to officials, the colleges allegedly created forged Fire NOCs in the name of HYDRA and fabricated the commissioner’s signature before submitting the documents to the Intermediate Board to obtain institutional recognition.
Following a complaint by HYDRA authorities, the Lake Police registered a case under Sections 337, 336(3), 340(2), 318(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). During the preliminary investigation, police found evidence linking the managements of eight private junior colleges located in Tellapur, Chikkadpally, SR Nagar, Mehdipatnam and Barkatpura to the alleged forgery.
Authorities have also written to the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education seeking cancellation of the recognition granted to the institutions involved.
Meanwhile, officials have launched a wider scrutiny of Fire NOCs submitted by around 60 other private junior colleges to verify their authenticity. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities said more irregularities could come to light as the probe progresses.
The case has raised serious concerns over the alleged use of forged safety certificates by educational institutions and the verification process followed during the recognition of colleges.
