Indore: A major conspiracy involving allegedly fabricated court judgments has surfaced in Madhya Pradesh, with public prosecutor Abhijeet Singh Rathore claiming that the falsified documents were created to help Santosh Verma secure an acquittal and become eligible for promotion to the Indian Administrative Service.
Rathore said evidence indicates that Verma and Judge Vijendra Singh Rawat colluded to produce two fake judgments, which were meant to clear Verma of a criminal case filed earlier by his wife at Lasudia police station. This acquittal, he said, was necessary for Verma to qualify for his Departmental Promotion Committee review and eventual induction into the IAS cadre.
According to Rathore, the police investigation into the fake judgments progressed only after the High Court granted permission to arrest Judge Rawat. The judge sought anticipatory bail soon after the approval, and Additional Sessions Judge Prakash Kaser granted the request on December 5.
The prosecutor added that an FIR was also lodged against Verma once the alleged fabrication of documents came to light. Verma was arrested and remained in judicial custody for a considerable period before securing bail from the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the original case filed by his wife is still pending, with no witness depositions recorded so far, he said.
The scandal deepened when Verma’s wife lodged a formal complaint and Judge Rawat himself informed the MG Road police station that he had never issued the two disputed orders, triggering a wider investigation.
The IAS officer recently faced additional controversy after an objectionable remark targeting the Brahmin community during a convention in Bhopal on November 23. His comments prompted a show-cause notice for violating the All India Services Conduct and Discipline Rules.
BJP MP Janardan Mishra strongly criticised Verma’s statement and questioned the legitimacy of his promotion. Mishra also wrote to Union Minister Jitendra Singh demanding an inquiry into Verma’s caste certification, the criminal case history, and the process through which he was awarded IAS status. He said that if wrongdoing is established, Verma’s promotion must be cancelled.
