Fake marksheets -- Vadodara student leaders role under probe

Fake marksheets -- Vadodara student leaders role under probe
SACHIN SHARMA

VADODARA, JAN 1: University officials and CID (crime) sleuths seem to have stumbled upon a major racket in forging higher secondary certificate (HSC) marksheets for seeking admission to the MS University here.

What began with investigation of a single case of a student seeking admission to BCom on the strength of a bogus marksheet has developed into a scandal. It is suspected that over 100 fake marksheets may have been submitted to the university in the last three or four years. CID (crime) officers are learnt to have detected some links in the racket.

Sources said the police is also investigating the possibility of involvement of student leaders in the racket. Ankur Raval, who had submitted a fake marksheet to the university in the year 1998 for admission, was also believed to have known several student leaders, it is said. Raval is yet to be arrested by the investigating agency. However, a case against him has been registered in Sayajigunj Police Station.

Commenting on the case, Vice Chancellor Anil Kane said, ``The investigation so far have revealed several important links. It would not be justified to disclose them at this juncture. But it is very evident that Raval is just the tip of the iceberg. There are several others like him who have submitted fake marksheets to the university.''

Asked about the number of such cases, Kane said, ``It is already in more than two digits.'' However, he did not rule out that the figure might be well over 100, as claimed by some university officials and police sources associated with the investigation.

In an interesting development, a Syndicate member has obtained a fake marksheet by paying some money to a man. University sources this was disclosed in Friday's syndicate meeting. The Syndicate member, who is on the panel formed to probe the matter, obtained the bogus marksheet to prove the point that such documents were being used to get admission.

Officials say that the details coming out in the investigation make it imperative that the university put its house in order. ``There is no scrutiny or cross-checking of documents submitted to the university for admission in the first year of several disciplines. Therefore, anyone can conveniently use a fake marksheet. The university should consider itself lucky that somebody sent a complaint about Raval. Otherwise, it would have never come across the scandal,'' said an official.