The Bengaluru police on Tuesday introduced the arrest of three people allegedly concerned in a large-scale racket concerned in making pretend Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets.
The accused, recognized as Prashanth Gundumi, 41, from Dharwad; Monish Ok J, 36, from Bengaluru; and Rajashekhar H, 41, from Gadag, had been discovered issuing fraudulent tutorial certificates for prices ranging between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000, mentioned the police.
Investigations have revealed that over 350 pretend mark playing cards had been distributed, a few of which had been used to safe authorities jobs and even in passport purposes, Police Commissioner B Dayananda said in a press convention.
The case got here to mild when a complainant alleged that his elder brother’s son had obtained a Class 12 marks card simply days after enrolling at Mercury Academy Distance Training, a Bengaluru-based establishment owned by Monish. Suspicious of the fast turnaround, the complainant reported the matter, resulting in a probe by Bengaluru’s Central Crime Department (CCB).
The investigation, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Akshay M Hakay, uncovered that the mark playing cards had been printed in Bengaluru and Dharwad utilizing computer systems. The paperwork falsely bore the identify ‘Karnataka State Council of Intermediate and Larger Training’, a non-existent authority.
Following this revelation, an FIR was registered on December 2, 2024, and the CCB swiftly moved in to arrest Monish the identical day. Throughout questioning, Monish revealed that he had procured over 25 pretend SSLC and pre-university mark playing cards from his associates, together with Prashanth and Darshan alias Gopal Shedbalkar, the latter at the moment absconding.
Extra arrests and key proof
Additional investigations led to the arrest of Prashanth from Dharwad. He was working Dawn Profession Academy within the Srinagar space of Bengaluru, which was getting used as a entrance for a pretend certificates racket. When the police seized his cellphone, they found over 300 digital copies of fraudulent mark playing cards.
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Authorities additionally discovered that a number of authorities companies, together with the transport division, had requested verification of those mark playing cards. The suspects falsely confirmed their authenticity, thereby additional legitimising the pretend paperwork. Throughout a raid at Prashanth’s studying middle, police recovered greater than 50 bodily pretend paperwork.
The third accused, Rajashekhar, was arrested for his involvement within the scheme. He labored below Prashanth on a fee foundation, incomes Rs 250 for every pretend mark card he processed. Authorities discovered 50 further pretend certificates on his cellphone, highlighting his vital involvement within the operation.
In the meantime, Darshan continues to be at giant, and the police are persevering with their efforts to hint him and dismantle the bigger community behind this operation. Officers have urged academic establishments and employers to stay vigilant and to confirm tutorial credentials earlier than accepting them.
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