In a shocking revelation, Tilak Nagar Police arrested three individuals, including two employees, for forging marksheets to secure admissions in three colleges under Somaiya Vidyavihar University. The Mumbai Police have now set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. Allegedly, the accused created fake marksheets, school-leaving certificates, and email IDs for around 50 students in exchange for money to facilitate their admission into Class 11. Sources indicate that the admissions of all students involved will be canceled.
The scam was uncovered when Dr. Kishan Pawar, Principal of K.J. Somaiya Arts and Commerce College, lodged a complaint with the police. Investigations revealed irregularities in admissions at three institutions: K.J. Somaiya Science and Commerce College, S.K. Somaiya Vinay Mandir Secondary School and Junior College, and K.J. Somaiya Arts and Commerce College.
Arrests and Modus Operandi
The police arrested Mahesh Vishnu Patil (49), a clerk at S.K. Somaiya Vinay Mandir, Arjun Vasaram Rathod (43), a clerk at K.J. Somaiya Arts and Commerce College, and Devendra Suryakant Saide (55), who acted as a middleman. According to officials, the accused collaborated to prepare fake documents for students to make them eligible for admissions.
Three other suspects—Kamlesh Bhai, Jitu Bhai, and Babu Bhai—are also under investigation. Police suspect the accused created fake documents, including marksheets and school-leaving certificates, for students from boards such as CBSE, IB, ICSE, and IGCSE, where manual data entry is required during online admission processes.
The Role of the Special Investigation Team
Recognizing the seriousness of the matter, a five-member SIT led by an Assistant Police Commissioner has been formed to investigate. It is alleged that the racket facilitated admissions for nearly 50 students by fabricating documents and entering false information into the system. Each parent reportedly paid between ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2 lakh for securing admissions.
The accused exploited loopholes in the online admission system, where details for SSC board students are pre-populated, but other board students require manual entry of their grades and school details. The accused prepared fake credentials and collected money from parents in return for ensuring admissions.
Further investigations will explore whether similar fraudulent admissions were carried out in the past.