51,576 fake university degrees in Maharashtra: CBI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court that there are 51,576 recorded cases of forged university degree certificates used for pursing higher education and jobs in the state.

The report was submitted to the division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice Dhananjay Chandrachud pursuant to an earlier direction of the high court directing the agency to probe the degree racket. The court in 2007 heard a petition filed by Ashok Inamdar, former principal of Siddharth Law College, stating that a lecturer, Chitra Salunkhe, had submitted a forged degree certificate.

The judges asked additional solicitor general Darius Khambata to take instructions on the possibility of issuing e-certificates to all students. The university’s lawyer Rui Rodrigues informed the court that they will withdraw the bachelors and masters degrees in law issued to Salunkhe.

Inamdar had filed a petition alleging that Salunkhe obtained a fake Bachelor of Arts degree from Kakatia University in Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, in 1988-89. She used it to get admission to Mumbai University’s law course. Later, she joined Siddharth Law Colleges as a  lecturer. The College’s lawyer Mihir Desai said Salunkhe has been dismissed after an internal inquiry.