PRAYAGRAJ, April 8 -- While taking exception to the growing perception among the common man that everything can be purchased with bribes, including academic degrees and university jobs, the Allahabad high court refused to quash an FIR against a woman accused of defrauding an aspirant of over Rs.22 lakh under the pretext of securing a PhD degree and an assistant professor job. The HC also noted that the allegations in the FIR disclose a very chilling trend in society, where the common man has developed a perception that anything can be done by paying a bribe. The bench, comprising justice JJ Munir and justice Tarun Saxena, dismissed a writ petition filed by the accused, Priyanka Senger. The court further said that even an educated woman was taken in by the fraud because of her faith in the efficacy of corrupt practices. The court stated, "It shows a very low state of moral fibre in society and crimes of this kind, to regain and restore some morality in society, must not go unpunished." An FIR was lodged by Tanya Dixit in Kanpur, alleging that the petitioner, Priyanka Sengar, along with co-accused Vikram Singh Sengar, Tripti Singh Sengar and Sanya Singh Sengar, assured Dixit that she would be admitted to the PhD programme at an Aligarh-based University. They also promised her that they would secure an assistant professor job for her at a university in Kanpur. Relying on these assurances, Dixit and her mother transferred a total of Rs.22,18,000 to the bank accounts of the accused. The informant, however, never applied for the job or the academic programme. As per the allegations, in June 2024, the accused handed over a bundle of forged documents to the informant, including a PhD mark sheet, an admission letter, a topic approval letter, and even an appointment letter from the Kanpur-based University asking her to join in July. However, when Dixit visited the university with her joining letter, the University Registrar informed her that all the documents were completely bogus and the signatures were forged. When the informant threatened the accused with legal action, they responded with death threats, as well as threats of false implication in heinous offences. Hence, Tanya Dixit lodged the present FIR on September 14, 2024, under Section 420 (cheating) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Swaroop Nagar police station in Kanpur district. Clarifying that it was not saying the allegations in the FIR are true, the court opined that, looking at the nature of the allegations, the FIR required a thorough and honest investigation by the police. Thus, finding it an unfit case for interference under Article 226 (writ jurisdiction) of the Constitution, the high court dismissed the writ petition in a decision dated March 31....