‘AI-Generated’ Marksheet Reaches Court: Allahabad High Court Orders DCP-Level Police Probe

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered a police inquiry after a high school marksheet that appeared to have been generated using artificial intelligence was placed before it in a couple’s petition, LiveLaw reported on 11 November.

A Division Bench of Justice Rajnish Kumar and Justice Babita Rani was hearing a writ petition by a couple who said the police were harassing them over their marriage, which was performed at an Arya Samaj temple in Lucknow on 4 September 2026.

Two marksheets, two birth dates

The Bench noticed that the second petitioner’s date of birth did not match across documents. The marksheet filed with the petition gave 29 July 2006, while the Arya Samaj marriage certificate recorded 29 July 2005. On 22 September, the Secretary of the Arya Samaj in Sector Q, Aliganj, produced a marksheet that he said the petitioner had supplied for the wedding. That copy differed from the one in the court file in the date of birth and the certificate number, and its transcript was in a language that was neither Hindi nor Sanskrit, whereas the petitioner’s copy was in Hindi.

The court linked the missing Hindi transcript to the software used to make the document and observed that it appeared to be AI-generated. The petitioner, appearing in person, said he had given the Arya Samaj a copy of his original marksheet showing 29 July 2006. The Bench reasoned that if he had handed over a forged marksheet, he would have had no reason to file his genuine one in court.

What the court ordered

Calling the document the “fruit of poisonous tree”, the Bench said placing a manipulated, forged and AI-generated document before a court undermines the institution, the trust of litigants and the justice system. In its order of 25 September, it directed the Commissioner of Police, Lucknow, to appoint an officer not below the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police within a week to look into the matter, identify those who prepared the forged document and file a report within four weeks.

The petitioners, the Arya Samaj Secretary and the priest who solemnised the marriage must appear before the inquiry officer when asked. The Secretary’s documents and register have been kept in a sealed cover. The matter was listed for 12 November.

— Legal Desk

Featured image: High Court Lucknow by Ramesh Lalwani, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

• LiveLaw: AI-generated marksheet produced before court? Allahabad High Court orders police probe