Delhi Police bust fake degree racket in Govindpuri; seven arrested

New Delhi: Delhi Police has busted a fake degree and certificate racket operating from southeast Delhi and arrested seven people, an official said on Friday. The operation was carried out following a tip-off about a gang allegedly running an organised network to issue forged educational documents, he said.

According to the police, the accused were operating from a premises in Govindpuri in southeast Delhi, where they had set up a full-fledged system to produce fake degrees, mark sheets and other certificates. "During the raid, seven people were apprehended while 28 others were bound down as part of preventive action," a senior police officer said.

The accused have been identified as Sanjeev Kumar Maurya (25), Janak Neupane (25), Kishan Kumar (26), Vicky Kumar Jha (26), Ashish Thapliyal (35), Akash Kumar (21) and Sanjay Arya (29), all residents of different parts of Delhi, the officer said. Police said the gang lured unsuspecting victims across the country by posing as representatives of a fake institution named "Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Management Science & Technology", the officer in the statement said.

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"They would offer back-dated degrees, migration certificates and mark sheets in exchange for money," read the statement. The syndicate had a well-organised setup. Telecallers contacted potential targets using data sourced from third-party providers and convinced them to purchase fake academic documents for employment or career advancement.

The group used digital tools, including shared online spreadsheets, to maintain records of clients and coordinate operations among members. Chats recovered from seized mobile phones showed that forged documents were being shared with customers digitally, police said. The accused had also recruited telecallers through online job platforms to expand their operations, police said, adding that the racket had a structured hierarchy with specific roles assigned to each member.

"During the raid, the team recovered Rs 2.79 lakh in cash, 31 mobile phones, two laptops, two printers and a Wi-Fi router. Several fake degrees, blank certificate sheets and registers containing details of victims were also seized," the officer said. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway to identify more people linked to the racket.