A 23-year-old peon named Prabhu Laxmikanth Lokare, who reportedly scored 99.7% in his Class 10 exams, is allegedly unable to read or write.

This revelation has led to an investigation into the validity of his academic credentials.

Lokare secured a job as a peon at a local court in Karnataka’s Koppal district, based on his impressive Class 10 marks. His name appeared on the final merit list for the peon's recruitment exam on April 22, 2024. However, suspicions arose when a judge observed Lokare struggling with basic reading and writing tasks. The judge subsequently filed a private complaint with the police to investigate Lokare's academic records.

An FIR was filed on April 26, detailing that Lokare allegedly skipped directly to the Class 10 exam from seventh standard and scored 623 out of 625 marks. Despite this remarkable performance, Lokare's inability to read or write in Kannada, English, or Hindi has raised significant concerns about his credentials.

The judge has called for an investigation to determine if other candidates may have obtained government jobs through similar fraudulent means. The police have been asked to compare Lokare's handwriting with that in his Class 10 exam answer sheets. The judge emphasized that fraudulent academic achievements disadvantage genuinely meritorious students.

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