No official guideline explicitly allows family attestation. Trying to get it done invites rejection and potential disciplinary action against the officer. Part 5: The Severe Consequences – Real-World Examples Let’s look at what happens when a Gazetted Officer disregards this rule. Case Study 1: The Passport Rejection A senior engineer in a state electricity board attested his son’s passport photograph. The passport office flagged the common surname and address. Upon inquiry, the son admitted the officer was his father. The passport application was rejected, and a negative remark was placed in the officer’s service record. The son had to reapply with attestation from a different officer, losing 2 months. Case Study 2: Bank Loan Fraud An Assistant Commissioner of Police attested his wife’s income certificate for a home loan. The bank later discovered the relationship and reported it to the police commissioner. While the documents were genuine, the officer faced a departmental inquiry for misconduct and received a “censure” penalty, effectively killing his promotion chances for 3 years. Case Study 3: Government Job Application A Gazetted Officer (Professor in a government college) attested her brother’s OBC-NCL certificate for a state PSC exam. The exam cell rejected the certificate citing “attestation by close relative.” The brother lost a year’s attempt.
In India, the attestation of documents by a Gazetted Officer is a critical step in validating identity, residence, and character for everything from passport applications to bank loans, college admissions, and government job forms. However, one of the most common and confusing questions that arises—especially in a country where family connections often run deep within government service—is whether a Gazetted Officer can legally and ethically attest documents for his own family members.
