Criminal appeal - scholar ships scams Case

KLB Law Firm represented D Shankar Rao in a criminal appeal arising from allegations related to scholarship scam offenses, advancing appellate grounds on evidentiary insufficiency, procedural irregularities, and misapplication of penal provisions governing cheating, forgery, and conspiracy.

Overview & Challenges

The appeal focused on reassessing findings on mens rea, conspiracy, and wrongful gain/loss, highlighting gaps in linking alleged transactions and records to the appellant beyond reasonable doubt.

• Demonstrating inconsistencies in the prosecution’s documentary trail and beneficiary mapping to sever alleged nexus.
• Challenging admissibility and probative value of seized records, statements, and property links under evidentiary rules.
• Arguing procedural lapses in investigation, seizure, and sanction to undermine the reliability of the prosecution’s case.
• Contesting the idea that administrative mistakes are the same as criminal plans or secret agreements.
• When presenting reasons that could reduce blame and looking at past cases, the court at the higher level considers the proof needed in cases involving money-related crimes.