by the fact that the appellant did not challenge the Committee’s order invalidating the caste certificate. 7. As there is no finding recorded that the ingredients of the offences alleged have been proved, the order of conviction passed by the Sessions Court cannot be sustained. Section 198 of the IPC reads thus: “198. Using as true a certificate known to be false.—Whoever corruptly uses or attempts to use any such certificate as a true certificate, knowing the same to be false in any material point, shall be punished in the same manner as if he gave false evidence.” (Underline supplied) The Section used the word “corruptly”. Therefore, it is obvious that mens rea is an essential ingredient of the offence. Only because the appellant could not establish her caste claim before the Committee, one cannot conclude that the appellant corruptly used the caste certificate. Moreover, corruptly using the certificate is not sufficient. The accused must have knowledge that the certificate is