The illegal racket in fake Secondary School Certificates (SSC), Higher Secondary Certificates (HSC) and certificates in professional courses, is getting tech-savvy.
The illegal racket in fake Secondary School Certificates (SSC), Higher Secondary Certificates (HSC) and certificates in professional courses, is getting tech-savvy.
The Ghatkopar police on Friday busted a fake educational certificate racket after they arrested five persons, and also seized a computer, colour printer, 3D holograms and fake SSC, HSC and fashion design degree certificates.
According to the police, the seized certificates bear the insignias of the Mumbai, Pune and Rajasthan Universities, as well as the rubber stamps of the chancellors and vice-chancellors. With different colours and inks, they look like the real thing.
The five arrested have been identified as Ananth Jalgaonkar, 22, Anil Balekar, 27, Rajendra Sawant, 37, Nagesh Sanbagh, 55, and Ganesh Thakur, 37. They have been charged under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (Forgery of valuable security), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), and 472 (Making or possessing counterfeit seal and such with intent to commit forgery punishable under section 467 of the Indian Penal Code.
The mastermind (police withheld the name) behind the racket (the police refused to name the person), who resides at Thane, is absconding. The five held confessed to preparing the fake certificates and selling them for Rs10,000 to Rs12,000, depending on the buyer’s requirement.
The matter came to light when Madhav Singh, 50, (name changed) lodged a complaint with the Ghatkopar police about the forgery. Singh has applied for a job as an office assistant job in a city-based private company. “The company asked Singh to submit his latest biodata and SSC certificate. Since Singh didn’t have a certificate, he got in touch with one of the members running the racket, who promised to provide him a certificate for Rs12,000,” Ghatkopar station sub-inspector and investigating officer Irfan Shaikh said.
Singh submitted the certificate to the company. “The company manager, while going through the certificate, doubted its credentials and asked Singh to verify its authenticity,” Shaikh said.
He added that the police are investigating whether any person working with the university or the SSC Board has a hand in this, since a 3D hologram and other printing material are used solely in the making of genuine certificates. “In a month, the racketeers sold a minimum of 15 to 20 SSC and HSC certificates. During investigations, the arrested men revealed they were carrying on their business for the last six months. The kingpin is an old-time crook,” Shaikh added.
According to subinspector and investigating officer Shashikant Pawar, the five arrested persons were caught once before in the past. “They, along with the kingpin, were running a fake certificate racket from places in Sion, Wadala and Worli. “The job is so neat, that it is difficult to tell a fake certificate from a real one,” said inspector CG Naik (additional charge of senior inspector, Ghatkopar police station).
He added that they were going to inform the Board and the universities about the forgery. The accused have been remanded to police custody till April 28. narayan@dnaindia.net
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