A Kanpur aspirant trusted promises of a PhD and a university job, only to be duped of over ₹22 lakh. The Allahabad High Court has now refused to quash the FIR, calling for a serious investigation into the scam.
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Imagine being told that your dreams of a PhD and a prestigious university job are just a few payments away. Sounds tempting, right? But for Tanya Dixit from Kanpur, this dream quickly turned into a nightmare worth over ₹22 lakh. And now, the drama has reached the Allahabad High Court, where judges have taken a serious stand against the growing belief that anything, including degrees and jobs, can be bought.
A Bench of Justice JJ Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena didn’t hold back. In a strongly worded order, the court highlighted a worrying trend: the common public increasingly believes that bribes can get you anything.
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Even educated people, the court noted, are falling prey to this mindset.
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“Crimes of this kind, to regain and restore some morality in society, must not go unpunished,” the bench observed. In short, this case is not just about ₹22 lakh. It’s about the moral health of society itself.
Tanya Dixit, the victim, alleged that Priyanka Singh Sengar and co-accused Vikram Singh Sengar, Tripti Singh Sengar, and Sanya Singh Sengar promised her a PhD seat at an Aligarh-based university.
That’s not all. They also claimed they could secure her Assistant Professor position at a university in Kanpur.
Trusting these promises, Tanya and her mother transferred total of ₹22,18,000 into the bank accounts of the accused.
But Tanya never even applied for PhD or teaching job. She relied entirely on the word of these alleged fraudsters.
In June 2024, accused allegedly handed Tanya bundle of documents that looked official at very first glance. PhD mark sheet, admission letter, topic approval letter, and even appointment letter from Kanpur university instructing her to join in July, all of them were there.
Excited but cautious, Tanya visited the university. That’s when truth hit hard. The University Registrar confirmed that all the documents were completely forged. Signatures? Fake. Admission? Nonexistent. Job? Not a chance.
When Tanya threatened to go to the authorities, the accused didn’t back down. They allegedly responded with death threats and warned her she could be falsely implicated in serious crimes.
During the hearings, the defense lawyers for Priyanka Singh Sengar tried to argue that the FIR should be quashed because two other accused had received interim relief from the High Court. The bench didn’t buy it. Judges clarified that the previous orders were temporary and not a judgment on the case itself.
“The PhD is earned from a university after following the program and successfully completing it. Appointment to a teaching post involves proper recruitment processes, including advertisement of posts and application procedures,” the bench explained.
The court went further, pointing out the tragic reality: the first informant was duped because of faith in corrupt practices. “It shows a very low state of moral fibre in society,” the judges said.
Importantly, the court made it clear that it wasn’t saying the FIR allegations are true. Instead, focus was on nature of the allegations which required proper and honest investigation by the police.
The bench dismissed the petition under Article 226 of the Constitution stating this case was unfit for interference. Simply put, the FIR stays, and the accused will have to face investigation.
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