Srinagar, August 30: The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has refused to quash an FIR against an Assistant Professor accused of fraudulently obtaining a Reserved Backward Area (RBA) certificate and using it to secure government employment. 

Justice Sanjay Dhar dismissed a petition filed by Qulsum Akhter, who had challenged FIR No. 9/2025 registered by the Economic Offences Wing, Crime Branch, Srinagar, under provisions related to cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, criminal conspiracy and corruption.

According to the investigation, Akhter was appointed as an Assistant Professor in Biochemistry under the RBA category in 2019 on the basis of an RBA certificate issued by the Tehsildar, Handwara, in 2013.

The investigation alleged that she had not fulfilled the required residency conditions for obtaining RBA status. The court also noted allegations that revenue officials prepared incorrect reports and that official records were subsequently tampered with.

The High Court observed that the material on record prima facie disclosed cognisable offences and sufficient grounds existed for continuing the investigation. It therefore declined to exercise its inherent powers to quash the FIR and dismissed the petition.