Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JD)
Mangaluru, Feb 9: The city crime branch (CCB) police led by inspector Valentine D'Souza have busted a fake marksheet scam in the city and arrested two persons in this regard.
Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday February 9, police commissioner Chandra Sekhar said that fake marksheets were being printed and sold at a college named Mangalore Institute of Management and Engineering, located at Pumpwell-Kankanady road here.
The arrested are Askan Sheikh (22), a resident of Chembugudde, and Gautam R (32), a resident of Kulur. A computer hard disk, three laptops, mobile phones, printer, hologram stickers and 18 fake seals were recovered from the accused.
The police commissioner said that though Mangalore Institute of Management and Engineering is legal, the duo used to print marksheets of various universities and educational institutions and sell them for money from this institute. Based on this information, the CCB police raided the houses of the accused as well as the institute and arrested the duo.
The accused used to print fake certificates of the following institutes:
Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra
Alpha Institute of Management and Technogical Science
VTU, Belgaum,
Shridhar University, Pilani, Rajasthan,
Techo Globe University, Shillong
Karnataka State Open University
Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management
Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sankrit and Ancient Studies University, Assam
All India Higher Education Board
Mangalore Institute of Management and Engineering
Alpha Institute of Management and Technogical Science, Bengaluru
The accused used to collect information pertaining to the student or unemployed person who approached them and issue marksheets within just a week. Fake SSCL and PUC marksheets were sold at Rs 10,000 each and fake degree and diploma certificates were sold at Rs 35,000 each, while fake MBA and engineering certificates would cost Rs 45,000.
The accused would also issue fake SSLC certificates in the name of a bogus school called Mangalore Public School.
The police commissioner also said that nearly 150 persons have been issued fake SSLC/PUC/degree/diploma marksheets so far.
Among the accused, Askan Sheikh set up Mangalore Institute of Management and Engineering in June 2015, but in the fake certificates he sold to several students, he mentioned that the student studied in the institution in 2010. Askan himself is pursuing engineering from a college, while Gautam owns GK International Consultancy Services.
The police commissioner further said that Askan has accomplices in Delhi, Bengaluru and other places, and police teams would be sent to various states to unearth more details.
The police commissioner said that there is a need to change the system of issuing certificates to stop such rackets. Some alternative measures like entering the names of the people to whom the certificates have been issued by the institutions in their websites can be one of the ways, he suggested.
Meeting on border safety with police forces of Kerala and Kodagu
The meeting was convened by IGP of western range. The SPs of Kasargod, Kannur, Dakshina Kannada, police commissioner Chandra Sekhar and representatives from the Kodagu district participated in the meeting.
The main motive was to share the intelligence between the districts and seek information of the absconding in various cases, mainly to institute a mechanism for the cooperation of border security forces in sealing the borders in emergency cases and co-ordinate with each other while doing so. Along with this, the main issue of discussion was that of narcotics including ganja. "We have already arrested some of the key operators and the investigation is on to arrest the rest," he police chief said.
Regarding the ZP and TP elections, he said a clear idea of the police bandobust would be known only after February 11. Only then the sensitive and non-sensitive booths will be marked, he added.
He also said that Goonda Act has been invoked against two persons and they are now in the jails of other districts.
Drive to execute the non-bailable warrants
He further said that a drive is under way to execute non-bailable warrants across the commissionerate since January 26 of this month. Out of the 862 warrants, 211 have been executed. These are the persons who are absconding in various cases and absconding after obtaining bail in cases of thefts and not appearing in the court for the hearings. "We will ensure that there is fear of law among the arrested. The drive will go on till February 20," he added.