NEW DELHI: The Inter-State Cell of the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has unearthed a large-scale fake degree racket and arrested five individuals.
According to the police, five individuals have been arrested for manufacturing and distributing counterfeit degrees, mark sheets, and migration certificates from various universities, severely undermining the country’s educational integrity.
The operation began after Head Constable Harender Malik received credible intelligence about a group issuing fraudulent academic certificates in Delhi. A special team, led by Inspector Manmeet Malik and supervised by ACP Ramesh Lamba, was formed to conduct the investigation.
Acting swiftly, the team arrested Vicky Harjani, owner of Paramhans Vidyapeeth, from Netaji Subhash Place.
A search of his premises revealed 75 forged documents from universities spanning Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Sikkim, and Tamil Nadu, among others.
Following Harjani’s interrogation, four more individuals, Vivek Gupta, Satbir Singh, Narayan Jee, and Avnish Kansal, were apprehended. All operated educational institutions across states and were actively involved in producing fake academic records. In total, the team recovered 275 forged certificates, 20 mobile phones, and six laptops. Forensic analysis of the devices uncovered over 5,000 soft copies of counterfeit documents for courses such as B.A., B.Com., B.Tech., B.Ed., and MBA. The syndicate used educational call centers and online platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media to target students.
Prospective candidates were lured with promises of backdated and UGC-recognized degrees. Coaching centers played a key role in collecting personal data and passing it to forgers who created authentic-looking documents.
The accused used false identities to evade detection. FIR No. 140/2025 has been registered, and police are continuing investigations to expose the full network and trace additional accomplices.