The Kidwai Nagar police have busted an organised fake degree racket and arrested four accused, including the alleged mastermind Shailendra Kumar Ojha. The gang, active since 2012, operated across nine states and supplied forged academic certificates ranging from high school to professional degrees without any examinations.
During the raid at a coaching centre operating under the name “Shail Group of Education” in Saket Nagar, police recovered more than 900 fake degrees and mark sheets linked to 14 universities, along with migration certificates, forged seals of a deputy registrar, post-dated cheques and other incriminating materials. The institute was found to be unregistered.
Investigators said the racket offered forged High School and Intermediate certificates for ₹50,000 to ₹75,000, while engineering, law and pharmacy degrees were sold for ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh. Back-dated degrees were available at higher prices. The gang allegedly manipulated university records by bribing insiders to insert fake entries so that online verification would show the documents as genuine.
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The arrested accused have been identified as Shailendra Kumar Ojha, Nagendra Mani Tripathi, Jogendra and Ashwani Kumar Singh. Five other suspects are absconding and police teams have been sent to multiple states to trace them. During interrogation, the accused revealed that one associate sourced data of students who had failed examinations and contacted them directly with offers to “pass” without appearing in exams.
One of the most alarming findings is that around 10 individuals are practising as lawyers in local courts using forged LLB degrees obtained through the racket. Their names have been shared with investigators and verification of their academic credentials and bar registrations is underway. Police also suspect that several people may have secured government and private sector jobs using fake degrees, prompting a wider verification drive.
The recovered documents include mark sheets purportedly issued by institutions such as CSJMU Kanpur, the Uttar Pradesh Board, Asian University Manipur, Lingaya’s University Faridabad, Mangalayatan University Aligarh, Shri Krishna University Chhatarpur, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University Meerut, Pragyan International University Jharkhand, Sikkim Professional University and Monad University Hapur. The confirms CSJMU alone accounted for 357 mark sheets.
According to investigators, the gang procured original mark sheets and certificates through compromised university staff and uploaded them to official websites, allowing fake credentials to pass digital verification. This method enabled the racket to operate undetected for years. Universities have now been asked to audit records and identify suspicious entries.
Ojha, an MSc in Mathematics and a former tutor, allegedly began by helping students fill private examination forms before moving into forged certifications. Police said he amassed assets worth around ₹2.5 crore through the illegal business, including two flats, four plots and a high-end car. His bank accounts and financial transactions are under scrutiny, and proceedings to attach properties have begun.
Investigators are also examining links between the racket and an education counsellor who was found dead in a hotel room last year and is suspected to have been associated with the network.
The bust has triggered concern across academic and legal circles. Authorities have asked bar bodies and universities to verify degrees of practitioners and employees. Officials warned that those found using forged qualifications will face criminal prosecution.
A parallel cyber and financial probe is underway to map the money trail, identify beneficiaries and uncover the full inter-state network. Police believe more arrests are likely once the absconding accused are traced.
Students and parents have been urged not to fall prey to agents offering degrees without examinations and to enrol only through recognised institutions and due process. Officials said fake qualifications not only constitute a serious criminal offence but also pose a threat to professional standards and public safety.
The investigation is ongoing, and police described the case as one of the largest fake degree rackets uncovered in the state, with links spanning multiple universities and states.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
