Karnataka: Peon with 99.7% marks in Class 10 exam doesn't know how to read or write; probe launched

Prabhu Laxmikanth Lokare came under the radar of the court's judge who had seen and heard about his struggles with reading and writing in the local court.

A 23-year-old peon, named Prabhu Laxmikanth Lokare, who had scored 99.7 per cent in the Class 10 exam, allegedly can't read or write, reported India Today. The revelation has prompted an investigation into the allegation.

A peon named Prabhu Laxmikanth Lokare who scored 99.7 per cent in the Class 10 exam, allegedly can't read or write, prompting an investigation into his education ( (Getty Images/iStockphoto))

Thanks to his high marks, Lokare secured a job as a peon at a local court in Karnataka’s Koppal district. As per the report, Lokare got selected for the job when his name appeared on April 22, 2024, on the final merit list for the peon's recruitment exam, based on his Class 10 marks. The court has ordered a probe into Lokare's academic records.

Lokare came under the radar of the court's judge observed that the former was struggling with reading and writing. The judge eventually filed a private complaint with the police to probe Lokare 's academic record.

An FIR in the case was filed on April 26. The FIR states that Lokare allegedly participated in the tenth class exam directly after seventh standard and scored 623 out of 625 marks. However, despite his exemplary academic performance, he cannot read or write in Kannada, English, or Hindi, raising serious doubts about his credentials.

The judge has demanded a probe into whether other candidates secured government jobs through similar means. The complainant has also asked police to check and compare Lokare's handwriting with that in his Class 10 exam answer sheets. The judge highlighted that fraudulent academic achievements put meritorious students at a disadvantage.

In his defence on the matter, Lokare claimed that he appeared as a private candidate in the Class 10 exams in 2017-18, which were conducted by the Delhi Education Board. He claimed that the exam took place at an institution in Karnataka's Bagalakote district.