MUMBAI: The city police have busted a major college admission racket based on forged marksheet and leaving certificate (LC) at Somaiya college at Vidyavihar and have arrested two college employees.
The racket involves fraudulent admissions for Class 11 in the academic year 2024-25, orchestrated by the arrested college clerks Mahendra Patil and Arjun Rathod, along with their accomplices Kamleshbhai, Jitubhai, and Babubhai. Tilak Nagar police have registered an FIR of cheating, forgery, breach of trust and other acts and criminal conspiracy.
The institutions affected include K. J. Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, Shri S. K. Somaiya Vinay Mandir Secondary School and Junior College, and others. Police investigations have revealed that the accused misused computer systems, created bogus marksheets and LCs, and forged student credentials using fake email IDs to deceive the college administration and education department.
According to the complaint, the accused accepted illegal cash payments from parents of students who were otherwise ineligible for admission. They tampered with online portals like https://mumbai.11thadmission.org.in, uploading fake documents to secure seats for around 50 students. Forged marksheets featured fabricated percentages, including suspicious entries like “376-(75.2%)” and “449-(89.8%)” to falsely qualify students.
The accused, while holding responsible positions, exploited their authority for financial gain, causing significant educational loss to deserving students. Students from CBSE, ICSE, IB, IGCSE, and other boards were fraudulently admitted, bypassing the Maharashtra State Board’s merit-based system.
The scam came to light during routine checks, prompting legal action. A formal complaint has been lodged against Mahendra Patil, Arjun Rathod, and accomplices Kamleshbhai, Jitubhai, and Babubhai for forgery, misuse of electronic systems, and conspiracy under the Information Technology Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
