Monad University in Uttar Pradesh may have been purchased using black money linked to the multi-crore Bike Boat scam. The state’s Special Task Force (STF) has found that university chairman Vijendra Singh Hooda allegedly used around ₹140 crore to acquire the institution money that belonged to scam mastermind Sanjay Bhati.
According to investigators, Bhati handed over ₹2,000 crore to Hooda after being jailed, intending to recover it upon release. Hooda reportedly fled to London with a large portion of the amount, later moving to Sri Lanka, where he acquired mining leases through political connections.
Upon receiving interim bail and the cancellation of a ₹5 lakh bounty on his head, Hooda returned to India and made the deal to purchase Monad University.
Partial Payment and Fake Degree Racket Unearthed
Hooda reportedly paid only ₹70 crore to the former owners of the university and delayed the remaining payment. During the investigation, STF uncovered that a fake degree and marksheet racket was operating within the university.
Funds from the racket were allegedly diverted to build another educational institution under construction in Meerut. Investigators suspect that Hooda first laundered the scam money through shell companies before buying the university.
Evidence suggests ongoing tensions between Sanjay Bhati and Hooda over financial disputes.
STF to Question Former Owners over University Sale
The university’s former owners will be questioned to determine why and under what conditions they sold the institution. The racket, believed to have been active for at least five years, raises questions about the internal functioning and oversight of Monad University.
STF raids also uncovered inappropriate materials and medicinal substances from the offices of senior staff, which are now part of the broader investigation.
Massive Recovery of Fake Academic Documents
Following multiple complaints, STF conducted a raid on the university’s Pilkhuwa campus. The results were alarming:
- 1,372 fake degrees and marksheets recovered
- 262 forged provisional and migration certificates found
The seized items confirm the scale of the operation, suggesting that the university was issuing fraudulent educational credentials over an extended period.
Ten Officials Arrested, Including Hooda and Pro-Chancellor
- On Sunday, the STF arrested ten individuals linked to the fraud. Key arrests include:
- Vijendra Singh Hooda (University Chairman)
- Nitin Kumar Singh (Pro-Chancellor)
Others arrested include:
Mukesh Thakur (Chairman’s PA), Gaurav Sharma and Vipul Talyan (Verification Heads), Imran Ahmad (Admissions Director), Anil Batra (Accountant) and Kuldeep, Sunny Kashyap, and Sandeep Kumar.
UP’s Additional Director General of Law and Order, confirmed the arrests and emphasized Hooda’s suspected central role in both the university fraud and the larger Bike Boat scam.
About the author – Ayush Chaurasia is a postgraduate student passionate about cybersecurity, threat hunting, and global affairs. He explores the intersection of technology, psychology, national security, and geopolitics through insightful writing.