‘Fake’: Indian migrant Harpreet Kaur found guilty by Australian court of forging nursing certificates

An Indian immigrant’s claims that she was duped into using fake nursing certificates have been thrown out by an Australian court, which found her guilty and called her defense a series of “outright lies”.Harpreet Kaur, 33, was convicted in Adelaide of falsely claiming to be a registered health practitioner, Australia Today reports. The case involved her using false credentials to obtain a nursing job in Australia.According to Christie’s Beach Magistrates Court, Kaul trained as a nurse in India and failed her Australian certification exam three times before being awarded the document. She first admitted the charges in 2024 but later withdrew her plea, saying she didn’t know the certificate was fake and purchased it from an online “guru” who charged her $10,000 for training and documentation.In her defence, Kaul told the court she believed the certificate was genuine and denied trying to mislead her employer or authorities. However, District Judge Luke Davies rejected her claims, finding she had knowingly used forged documents and lied under oath during the trial.He said there was a lot of evidence against her and dismissed the idea that she had been deceived. “While it is unfortunate and notorious that people of all ages fall victim to online scams, there is overwhelming evidence that they are guilty,” he said.The magistrate was critical of her testimony: “I did not think Kaul was an honest witness… She was evasive and unconvincing and gave answers that I found incredibly absurd. [and] Absolutely ridiculous. “He also said the certificate itself was obviously fake: “I found the document itself to be obviously false, forged, tampered with and easily visible… people couldn’t help but notice.”Judge Davis further ruled that Kaul was “in collusion” with an “elusive shadowy figure” and was fully aware that her actions were unlawful.Kaul currently faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $60,000. She is due back in court next month for sentencing.