Mumbai: The Kherwadi police on Wednesday filed a case of cheating, forgery, and breach of trust against the management of Dr Baliram Hiray College of Architecture in Bandra, following complaints filed by over 125 students alleging academic fraud, bogus certificates and unrecognised courses run under a school of design. Police said they are looking into the complaints and are yet to make an arrest.Police said that the first batch of students, who took admission to BSc/BVov (Interior Design) from five batches beginning 2021-22, was told the course was affiliated to Sangai University in Manipur, which was derecognised in 2024. Students claimed they had no idea about the derecognition and cleared their final year in 2025. They were made to wait for their marksheets and degree certificates.Last month, they were told the degrees will be granted by Sikkim International University. Students said this university, too, was on the UGC defaulter list. Despite repeated attempts, the college failed to give them proof of affiliation.On March 14, the first batch students finally got their marksheets but with incorrect details, marks shuffled and key subjects like dissertation removed, citing that the university doesn’t offer those subjects. On March 25, the students protested against the irregularities and submitted a written complaint seeking immediate action. They then approached the Kherwadi police, who registered a first information report against the college management.
