SIT detains agent in of Manav Bharti University fake degree scam

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 8

In a major breakthrough, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), investigating the fake degree scam of Manav Bharti University, Solan, today detained an agent, instrumental in selling fake degrees, and recovered a diary from her possession containing the names of hundreds of students to whom the fake degrees were sold.

More revelations

• The agent used to deposit the daily collection with the administrator of Manav Bharti University which was further handed over to the Chairman of the trust
• The police also took the WhatsApp details of transactions sent to the Chairman of Manav Bharti Charitable Trust (MBCT) Raj Kumar Rana by the agent
• Fake degrees were given to employees on the instructions of Rana
• SIT also seized unchecked answer-sheets and mark-sheets of Madhav University with overwriting without the signature of the evaluator

The agent used to deposit the daily collection with the administrator of the university which was further handed over to the Chairman of the trust running the university.

The police have also took the WhatsApp details of transactions sent to the Chairman of Manav Bharti Charitable Trust (MBCT) Raj Kumar Rana by the agent, said IG (Southern Range) Asif Jalal.

During investigation, two employees, working as dean of a department and assistant professor, revealed that as there was shortage of the faculty in the university, fake degrees were given to employees on the instructions of Raj Kumar Rana so that complete faculty could be shown during inspection. These employees were given LLB and PhD degrees.

Several facts have surfaced during investigations by SIT and interestingly, Rana has been awarded Master of Laws, Commercial and Corporate Laws, securing 435 out of 600 marks by Madhav University, the sister concern of the MBU, in Pindwara, Sirohi district, Rajasthan, set up in 2014.

The university has also certified that he is a student of LLM batch, 2015-16, and it is running all courses, including Masters of Law through regular mode. SIT has also seized unchecked answer-sheets and mark-sheets of Madhav University with overwriting without the signature of the evaluator.

In the records, the name of the Chancellor has been mentioned as Raj Kumar Rana but in the bonafide certificate purported to be issued by Madhav Bharti University, the name has been mentioned as Raj Kumar and the surname is not mentioned.

The issue of fake degree scam came to light after the UGC wrote to the state authorities to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of the sale of over 5 lakh fake degrees by APG University (Shimla) and Manav Bharti University (Solan).