LUCKNOW, March 26 -- The investigation into fraudulent appointments in Uttar Pradesh's Basic Education Department has gathered pace, with eight more teachers booked in Sitapur district for allegedly securing jobs using forged documents, officials said on Tuesday. The FIRs were registered across Biswan, Sakran and Rausa police stations over the past three days following a complaint by block education officer Omkar Singh, signalling a widening crackdown on irregular recruitments. "Two cases each were lodged in Biswan and Sakran, while four were filed in Rausa between March 22 and 24," Singh emphasized. Those named in the latest FIRs include Manoj Kumar, Rajat Chaudhary and Kumari Vinesh from Iglas in Aligarh; Yogesh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar and Narendra Singh Tomar from Hathras; and Bhupendra Singh and Murari Singh from Mathura. Earlier, two other teachers from Iglas-Murari Lal Rawat and Jai Narayan-had also been booked in similar cases. Officials said the cases stem from alleged irregularities in the 12,460 assistant teacher recruitment process, in which at least 21 candidates in Sitapur alone were found to have secured appointments using forged documents. All had joined service on July 1, 2024. During counselling, candidates submitted UPTET mark sheets purportedly issued in 2014. Suspicions arose during digital verification when records failed to match official data. Subsequent offline verification by the Examination Regulatory Authority in Prayagraj confirmed that the roll numbers cited in the documents had never been issued, establishing the certificates as "completely fake and fabricated." Following the findings, the Basic Shiksha Adhikari's office issued show-cause notices to the accused, granting 15 days for explanation. With no response received, all identified teachers were dismissed from service on February 25, 2026. FIRs have been filed under charges of cheating, forgery and misappropriation of government funds. The accused had been posted in multiple primary schools across Sitapur, including Padariya, Manpur, Dhanawa, Jijauli, Aruwa, Tajpur, Shivpuri, Bohra-I and Ashrakhpur. The Sitapur action is part of a broader, state-mandated verification exercise initiated following a January 22 order of the Allahabad High Court. In a directive issued on March 6, Additional Chief Secretary (Basic Education) Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma asked the Director General of School Education to carry out a statewide audit of appointments suspected to be based on forged credentials. Divisional authorities have been tasked with scrutinising doubtful records and submitting consolidated reports within a month. The High Court, while hearing a writ petition, had flagged a "disturbing pattern" of candidates allegedly securing teaching jobs through fake certificates or by concealing material facts, in some cases continuing in service for years with suspected institutional collusion. It directed the government to undertake a time-bound verification, cancel fraudulent appointments, recover salaries where permissible, and initiate action against complicit officials. Officials said the ongoing scrutiny is likely to unearth more such cases across districts, with additional FIRs and dismissals expected as the state intensifies efforts to restore transparency in teacher recruitment....