Kanpur Police Cracks Down on Extensive Fake Degree Network
In a significant crackdown, the Kanpur police have successfully busted a sophisticated gang involved in the illicit sale of counterfeit academic degrees and arrested four individuals on Thursday. The operation has led to the recovery of a staggering 900 fake degrees, along with marksheets from approximately 14 universities, provisional certificates, migration booklets, and a forged seal of the deputy registrar of Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU).
Widespread Syndicate Spanning Multiple States
This elaborate syndicate had a far-reaching presence, operating across nine states including Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The gang specialized in providing fake degrees for a range of educational levels, from high school to professional courses such as BTech, BPharma, and LLB, often under the guise of facilitating admissions to private universities. Notably, the highest number of recovered documents—357 fake degrees—were attributed to CSJMU.
Police Action and Arrest Details
Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal revealed that the gang's activities came to light following specific intelligence about their operations involving fake marksheets, degrees, and migration certificates. Acting swiftly, the Kidwai Nagar police conducted a raid at a tuition centre near Gaushala Chauraha, leading to the arrest of four youths in possession of fraudulent degrees.
The accused have been identified as:
- Shailendra Kumar from Raebareli, Unchahar, residing in Saket Nagar
- Nagendra Mani Tripathi from Kaushambi
- Jogendra from Ghaziabad
- Ashwani Kumar from Shuklaganj
Background and Modus Operandi of the Accused
According to Police Commissioner Lal, the kingpin of the gang, Shailendra Kumar, holds an MSc degree and had been teaching mathematics to children at the tuition centre since 2003. Nagendra Mani Tripathi is an MCA graduate, while Jogendra is a high school pass-out, and Ashwani Kumar has completed his 12th standard. Shailendra initially assisted students with filling out private university forms but gradually transitioned into the lucrative fake degree business.
The gang maintained connections with clerks and employees from 14 universities across the nine states, who supplied them with authentic-looking university degrees. During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they charged substantial fees for their services:
- Rs 50,000 for high school and intermediate certificates
- Rs 1.50 lakh for BTech degrees
- Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000 for graduation degrees
- Rs 2.50 lakh for BPharma and DPharma degrees
- Rs 1.50 lakh for LLB degrees
To enhance credibility, employees associated with the gang uploaded fake marksheets onto the official websites of universities, making it difficult for individuals to suspect the authenticity of the documents.
Financial Gains and Property Acquisitions
The police investigation uncovered significant financial gains amassed by the gang. Post-dated cheques worth Rs 50 lakh to Rs 60 lakh were seized from the accused. Shailendra Kumar, in particular, had acquired properties valued at crores of rupees, including:
- An apartment in Saket Nagar purchased for Rs 50 lakh
- A flat in Panki bought for Rs 30 lakh
- A plot in Ramaipur acquired for Rs 75 lakh
- Land at two locations in Bidhnu, each worth Rs 50 lakh
- A car valued at Rs 20 lakh
- The construction of his tuition centre
Connection to a Tragic Incident and Ongoing Investigations
In a related development, Police Commissioner Lal mentioned that on February 19, the body of an educational student counsellor, identified as Anand Srivastava (45), was found in room number 105 of a hotel in the Harbansh Mohal police station area. A suicide note was recovered, in which Srivastava had expressed apologies. Further investigation revealed that Anand was in contact with the gang and had supplied marksheets and degrees from Shri Krishna University to them.
Additionally, the police have identified several absconding individuals associated with the gang, including Mayank Bhardwaj from Chhatarpur, Manish alias Ravi from Hyderabad, Vineet from Ghaziabad, Shekhu from Bhopal, and Shubham Dubey. Three police teams have been formed to apprehend these suspects.
Recovered Evidence and Confessions
During the raid, police recovered a comprehensive array of fraudulent documents, including fake marksheets, degrees, grade sheets, provisional certificates, migration booklets from various universities, and the counterfeit seal of the deputy registrar of CSJMU. The accused have also confessed to issuing 80 fake migration certificates, further highlighting the scale of their operations.
This case underscores the pervasive issue of educational fraud and the lengths to which such syndicates will go to exploit the system for financial gain.
