Sonepur, Jan. 13: Subarnapur police on Wednesday arrested a schoolteacher on charge of using fake caste certificate to get a job.

Police registered a case under Section 420 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code against one Arjun Sahu of Salepali village following a complaint by the district welfare officer of Sonepur, Kalindi Charan Bhoi, lodged at Dunguripali police station. Sahu, who used a fake certificate showing him as a tribal to get the government job, was arrested yesterday. He was remanded in judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected.

District welfare officer of Sonepur Kalindi Charan Bhoi said: “I lodged a complaint against the guilty teacher as per the direction of the district collector.”

Sources said Arjun Sahu was Kulta by caste and belonged to the other backward class (OBC) category. While applying for caste certificate in the office of the additional tehsildar in Dunguripali, Arjun changed his surname to Beriha instead of Sahu showing him as son of Mitu Beriha and mentioned his caste as Binjhal, which comes under the scheduled tribe (ST) category.

Accordingly, he was given a scheduled tribe certificate. Later he applied for the post of Sikshya Sahayak and got employed in a school in San Cherechua village by availing the benefit of reservation quota meant for scheduled tribe.

It was after members of Zilla Adivasi Kalyan Sangh lodged a complaint with the district administration that Rampur tehsildar probed into the complaint and found that Arjun had obtained the certificate by furnishing fake information.

In 2008, the tehsildar declared the caste certificate of Arjun illegal.