MUMBAI — The Bombay High Court has upheld the Maharashtra government’s authority to re-verify the disability certificates and Unique Disability ID (UDID) cards of state employees. Ruling on over 50 petitions, a division bench declared that using fraudulent disability claims to secure or retain government jobs constitutes “moral turpitude,” allowing for severe actions like removal from service.
This judgment responds to 2025 state actions triggered by suspiciously high disability claims, which uncovered hundreds of fraudulent certificates, particularly in hearing impairment cases that failed to meet the 40% benchmark. The court described this as a “deep-rooted” fraud, emphasizing that it deprived genuinely disabled individuals of their rights.”Acquiring bogus certificates… would amount to an immoral act,” the bench stated, justifying strict action against such deception. The court has ordered the creation of special medical boards to complete the re-verification process within 120 days, aiming to identify fraudulent cases while protecting genuine beneficiaries. This decision reinforces that integrity is a necessary condition for public service in Maharashtra.
