Kanpur , In a major crackdown, Kanpur police have unearthed a massive fake degree racket allegedly operating across several states, supplying forged marksheets, migration certificates and professional degrees without candidates appearing for examinations, a top official said here on Monday.
In a joint operation by the Kidwai Nagar Police and Special Investigation Team , two alleged masterminds, Manish alias Ravi of Hyderabad and Arjun Yadav of Unnao, were arrested for running what police described as a highly organised “home delivery” network of fake educational documents.
Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal told PTI that the gang had been active for years and provided forged certificates, ranging from high school and graduation documents to postgraduate, LLB, B.Pharma and even PhD degrees.
“During the raids, police recovered around 80 fake migration certificates, forged marksheets and degrees, counterfeit university seals, two laptops and two mobile phones containing digital records linked to thousands of people,” Lal added.
The forged documents allegedly carried the names of several universities and institutions, including Lingaya’s Vidyapeeth, Mangalayatan University, JS University, Glocal University, Sikkim Professional University and Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, among others.
Police investigators said the gang had also prepared fake migration booklets and forged the seal of a deputy registrar of CSJM University to issue bogus migration certificates.
Police said financial transactions linked to the racket are also under scrutiny. Around ₹16 lakh was allegedly transferred into Manish’s account by another accused, while transactions worth nearly ₹20 lakh were traced to Arjun Yadav.
Police recovered photographs of Manish with over 60 Bollywood personalities and sportspersons. Officials are now examining whether these celebrity links were used to build credibility and attract clients, an official associated with the SIT said.
According to police, Manish also ran an organisation called ‘Global Book of Excellence Award UK London’, which allegedly organised award functions in Mumbai, Goa and Bengaluru honouring celebrities and public figures.
He was planning a fifth edition of the event in Dubai through an individual identified as Tanveer before the operation was allegedly shut down recently over verification concerns, Lal said.
Police further suspect the racket may have helped candidates secure jobs and admissions using forged educational credentials.
Investigators are now probing a possible wider network, including the alleged role of Indore-based Sanjay Panjwani, whom Manish reportedly identified as the person handling the printing of fake degrees and documents.
Cases under the UP gangsters act, cheating, and other relevant sections have been registered against the arrested accused.
Police said more arrests are likely as the SIT and Crime Branch expand the probe into what could be one of the largest fake degree rackets exposed in recent years.
Notably, just three months ago, Kanpur police had busted another fake degree racket spread across nine states and seized nearly 900 forged marksheets and documents linked to 14 universities, leading to the arrest of six persons.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
