In yet another scandal involving a private university from the State, a fake certificate-issuing racket was busted by Telangana police and six persons were arrested for preparing fake degree certificates of Mahatma Gandhi University, Meghalaya.
Mahatma Gandhi University is presently based at Khanapara in Ri-Bhoi district. It also claims to have a campus in Tura.
According to reports, the Cyberabad Special Operations Team (SOT) in collaboration with Miyapur police today busted the gang and seized cash worth Rs 50,000 along with 157 memos, bill books, letter pads of various universities, and mobile phones from them.
The arrested persons were identified as Dinesh Singh, Akhilesh Semwal, Tajinder Singh, Garikapati Venkata Bhaskar Satyanarayana Sharma, Geekuru Prem Kumar, and Singarapu Sujatha.
Reports also said that two other accused who included Mahatma Gandhi University director Milie Goel and clerk Shivani are absconding.
The reports quoting Cyberabad police said that Khaja Shaik Nayab Rasool, a resident of Miyapur came in contact with Sharma and sought his help in pursuing a degree course.
According to police, Sharma introduced Nayab Rasool to Akhilesh and Prem of Mahatma Gandhi University Meghalaya and submitted documents to them. Believing them, he transferred Rs 2.07 lakh and after a few days received memos for the academic years 2014, 2015 and 2016 through Prem Kumar. Later when he verified, Khaja came to know that those were fake certificates.
The police later arrested Prem Kumar and Venkata Bhaskar based on the complaint by Khaja.
Reports quoting police said that the duo with the help of Akhilesh Semwal, Dinesh Singh and Tajinder Singh, who works at Mahatma Gandhi University, successfully provided around 430 certificates to different persons.
The incident reminds of a similar fake certificate racket involving the CMJ University, Shillong in 2012-2013. Around 20,570 degrees were allegedly illegally issued by CMJ University to persons across the country.
In 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth Rs 13.54 crore to CMJ University, Shillong, its Chancellor Chandra Mohan Jha and his family members, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the fake degree certificate case.
The ED filed a money laundering case on the basis of an FIR filed by the CID of Meghalaya Police and charge-sheet filed against the accused for “defrauding thousands of students by giving them fake degree certificates.”
