PRAYAGRAJ, June 21 -- Eight constables recruited under the Uttar Pradesh Police Direct Recruitment-2023 and posted in Pratapgarh district have been dismissed from service after an inquiry found that they had allegedly secured appointments by submitting forged certificates claiming them to be dependents of freedom fighters. An FIR has been registered against all eight accused on charges including cheating, forgery and obtaining government employment by using forged documents. The fraud came to light following a complaint lodged by a Prayagraj-based advocate, officials said. According to police, sub-inspector Rajesh Kumar Yadav, posted at the Police Lines in Pratapgarh, filed the FIR against the accused, all of whom are residents of Mirzapur district. Their services have been terminated with immediate effect. The accused have been identified as Shubham Dubey and Ajay Kumar of Jasa Badhoura village under Vindhyachal police station; Pradeep Kumar of Dhani Patti Supantha village; Khushboo Gupta of Bhosingh Ka Pura; Akash Mishra of Saroi Tiwari village; Abhishek Pandey of Parmanpur Gaura village under Jigna police station; Ravishankar of Rampur Hanshwar; and Divyanshu Yadav of Bathua Mahuaria village under Katra Kotwali police station. The matter surfaced when an advocate from Allahpur locality in Prayagraj submitted a complaint alleging that one Shubham Dubey, a resident of Jasa Badhoura village under Vindhyachal police station in Mirzapur, had secured appointment in the police force using a fake freedom fighter dependent certificate. Although Dubey underwent training at the Recruit Training Centre (RTC) in Banda, he was later posted in Pratapgarh. As all the accused constables were serving in Pratapgarh, Banda Police forwarded the complaint to Pratapgarh Police for investigation. Superintendent of police Deepak Bhukar entrusted the probe to the circle officer (Police Lines). During the inquiry, circle officer Shiv Narayan Vaish found that not only Shubham Dubey but seven other constables posted in the district had allegedly submitted forged freedom fighter dependent certificates to gain employment under the recruitment drive. Confirming the action, SP Deepak Bhukar said the inquiry, initiated on the basis of a complaint by a Prayagraj resident, established that the freedom fighter dependent certificates submitted by the eight constables were forged. "All eight constables were residents of Mirzapur and had joined service in Pratapgarh after completing RTC training. Following the findings of the investigation, FIRs have been registered against them and their services have been terminated," Bhukar said....