Uttar Pradesh is grappling with a concerning surge in fraudulent certificate cases, raising serious questions about systemic vulnerabilities and the integrity of various institutions. These incidents range from fake educational degrees to falsified birth and death certificates, impacting numerous individuals and potentially jeopardizing the credibility of the state's administrative and educational systems.
One of the most alarming cases involves the recovery of a massive cache of fake degrees and mark sheets from Monad University, a private institution in Hapur district. The Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) seized 1,372 counterfeit degrees and mark sheets, along with 262 fake provisional and migration certificates. Ten individuals, including the university's chairperson, Vijendra Singh Hooda, and pro-chancellor, Nitin Kumar Singh, were arrested in connection with the fraud. Hooda, who was allegedly the mastermind, also faces nearly a hundred other cases against him related to the infamous Bike Bot scam. Investigations revealed that the accused were creating fake documents for various courses, including BA, B.Ed., law, pharmacy, and B.Tech, in exchange for money, with charges ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹4 lakh depending on the course.
In another instance highlighting the widespread nature of the fraud, the STF arrested Dhanesh Mishra in Agra for producing and distributing forged mark sheets and educational certificates from various universities and education boards. Authorities seized a significant amount of incriminating material, including laptops and hundreds of fake mark sheets and certificates. Mishra confessed to fabricating certificates for individuals lacking proper records and had been running the illegal operation for approximately two years, charging between Rs 15,000 to Rs 2,40,000 for the fake documents.
Beyond academic credentials, a massive birth certificate scam was uncovered in Rae Bareli, where over 52,000 fake birth certificates were generated using bogus addresses in eleven villages. The scam came to light after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) red-flagged certain certificates. Investigations revealed that scammers were adding fake names to student lists to siphon off scholarship money. A village development officer (VDO) and several others were arrested for misusing the government's Civil Registration System (CRS) portal to create these fraudulent documents. The investigation further revealed that over 4 lakh fake birth certificates and 5,000 fake death certificates had been generated across 29 districts in Uttar Pradesh and 13 districts in Bihar.
In a separate incident, four women in Gorakhpur were arrested for submitting fake death certificates of their living husbands to a bank in order to evade loan repayments. The women had received loans under a group-lending scheme and exploited a policy that waives the loan if the beneficiary's husband dies. Authorities are now investigating the source and authenticity of these falsified death certificates.
These cases underscore a systemic problem in Uttar Pradesh, with fraudulent certificates being used for various illegal activities, from securing scholarships and evading loan payments to potentially gaining undue advantages in employment and education. The state government and law enforcement agencies are under increasing pressure to crack down on these fraudulent practices, identify and prosecute those involved, and implement measures to prevent such incidents from recurring. Strengthening verification processes, enhancing cybersecurity measures for online portals, and increasing vigilance among government officials are crucial steps to restore the integrity of the system and protect the interests of the citizens.
