Pan-India links in fake degree scam

SURAT: The fake marksheets and degree scam unearthed by Navsari police on Sunday seems to be much bigger and serious in nature.
Investigation of the scam for which two persons were arrested suggests that it could be a pan-India scam to supply 'made to order' degree certificates and marksheets of at least three prominent education institutes of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.These vital documents were being made and sold for clients who were not required to appear in class X, XII or any other exam, police said.
Navsari police have found marksheet and other documen-ts of class X exam of Board of Secondary Education Madhya Bharat Gwalior, degree certificate of Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidhyapith based in Varanasi and a marksheet of class XII of Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, Uttar Pradesh.
Police were shocked when they carried out online authentication of the documents. They were found to be genuine and issued by these institutes. Of the three, two were in the name of Suraj Kuvar, a resident of Jalalpore, who blew the lid of racket by filing a complaint against two persons - Machhindra alias Ganesh Sudhakar Gudde, 26, and Jagmohan Jogeshwar Kushwaha, 24, both residents of Vijalpor area of Navsari. Both have been arrested.
Police suspect that the three government institutions may have agents across the country who search for clients and charge anything between Rs 30,000 and Rs one lakh per document. The duo was running the racket under pretext of a computer coaching classs. Kushwaha was director of the classes while Gudde was the manager. The duo was working in association with Bhavin Patel, resident of Amroli in Surat, who was in contact with the institutes in MP and UP. Patel is yet to be arrested.
"The documents are prepared in a month or two as per the need of the client. Without going to the institute, the person gets the documents delivered at home. So far, we have found that authentication of the documents is possible. The institutes claim that they are original but the candidates have never gone to these institutes, not even for exam," said N P Gohil, police inspector, LCB, Navsari.
"We found that a racket is being run by some institutions to give board marksheet and degree certificate. Police are also investigating whether a dummy candidate appeared in exam. We think the racket is spread in many states," said Gohil.
Mockery of education
* A client doesn't need to visit the institute even once
* Marksheet or degree costs Rs 30,000 to Rs 1 lakh
* Client can choose marks and percentage in result
* Candidate can choose the time period of course