Forged ‘CM Yogi Adityanath's Letter’ To PM For BJP Ticket: Delhi Court Convicts Man, Calls It Attack On Public Trust

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Jyoti Maheshwari of the Rouse Avenue Courts, in a judgment dated March 30, held accused Shivaji Yadav guilty of offences under Sections 465 (forgery) and 471 (using a forged document as genuine) of the Indian Penal Code.

“The misuse of the names of public functionaries is often dismissed as trivial, yet when it assumes the form of a forged official act, it strikes at the very foundation of public trust,” the Court observed while convicting the accused. The matter has been listed for sentencing on April 20.

The case originated from a letter dated June 10, 2019, allegedly written by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to the Prime Minister recommending that Shivaji Yadav be granted a BJP ticket from the Lucknow Cantt constituency. The suspicious communication, received by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), raised red flags and eventually led to a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

During the investigation, it was found that the letter was fabricated and had not been issued by the Chief Minister’s Office. Officials in Lucknow confirmed that the purported document neither bore the authentic signature of the Chief Minister nor originated from official channels.

The prosecution established that portions of the forged letter: including the date, dispatch number, and envelope details, were in the handwriting of the accused. Forensic evidence and witness testimonies further corroborated that the document was not genuine. The mobile numbers mentioned in the letter and its envelope were traced back to Yadav, and location data placed him in Badlapur, Jaunpur, at the time the letter was dispatched via speed post to the PMO.

The court noted that while a legitimate letter bearing the same dispatch number had indeed been issued by the Chief Minister’s Office to the Ministry of External Affairs, the accused had fabricated a separate document using similar details to lend it an appearance of authenticity.

Rejecting the defence’s arguments of false implication, the Court clarified that the offence of forgery does not require proof of a forged signature alone. Fabrication of any part of a document with intent to deceive is sufficient to constitute the offence.

“The prosecution has successfully established, beyond reasonable doubt, that the accused fabricated the document in question and knowingly used it as genuine. The chain of circumstances is complete and points unerringly towards the guilt of the accused,” the Court held.

The judgment also emphasised the broader implications of such conduct, noting that the case reflected a deliberate attempt to misuse the authority and office of a constitutional functionary to advance personal political ambitions.

“Such acts have the potential to disturb the sanctity attached to official processes and communications,” the Court observed, adding that the law must take its course where evidence clearly establishes the creation and use of a false document with intent to deceive.

The CBI had registered the case in December 2020 following a complaint from the PMO. During trial, the prosecution examined around 20 witnesses to establish the case against the accused.

The Court ultimately concluded that the accused had knowingly used the forged letter as genuine in an attempt to secure a party ticket, thereby undermining institutional credibility. "Upon a conspectus of the entire facts and circumstances of the present case and a comprehensive evaluation of the oral and documentary evidence on record, this Court finds that the prosecution has successfully established, beyond reasonable doubt, that the accused Shivaji Yadav fabricated the document in question and knowingly used it as genuine. The chain of circumstances is complete and points unerringly towards the guilt of the accused. Accordingly, the accused Shivaji Yadav is convicted of the offences punishable under Section 465 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860," the court observed.