PALAKKAD : Police in Kerala have registered a case against former DYFI local leader Ganapathy K V for allegedly using a forged degree document to secure employment at Puducode Grama Panchayat in Palakkad district.

The case was registered at Vadakkenchery police station on August 24 on charges including cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery and the use of a forged document as genuine under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the First Information Report, Ganapathy allegedly submitted a fake consolidated grade card purportedly issued by the University of Calicut while applying for a position as an account-cum-IT assistant at the panchayat’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) office.

He secured the job and worked at the panchayat from July 2021 until July 2026, according to the complaint. Authorities have alleged that his employment resulted in financial loss to the local body.

The alleged irregularity emerged after the panchayat decided not to renew his employment contract. Ganapathy subsequently approached a court and obtained a stay against the decision, prompting officials to re-examine his documents as part of further proceedings, panchayat member P P Krishnan said.

The panchayat secretary then sought verification of Ganapathy’s academic credentials from the University of Calicut.

According to panchayat officials, the university confirmed that Ganapathy had been enrolled as a student but had not completed the course, raising questions over the grade card he had submitted for the job.

Police said Ganapathy has since gone into hiding and efforts are underway to trace him.