Kanpur: Police have widened their crackdown on an organised fake marksheet and degree racket allegedly spread across 25 states, arresting two more accused and uncovering financial transactions worth nearly ₹60 crore. The Special Investigation Team and Philkhana Police arrested Amit Kumar Saxena and Gopal Ji from Etawah and Jalaun districts after specific intelligence inputs.
Two More Arrested In Fake Degree Network
The arrested accused have been identified as Amit Kumar Saxena, originally from Etawah and residing in Kanpur’s Barra area, and Gopal Ji, a native of Kadaura in Jalaun district who was living in Vinayakpur, Kanpur.
Registration Begins for FutureCrime Summit 2026, India’s Largest Cybercrime Conference
Police said both accused were allegedly involved in preparing and distributing forged marksheets, degrees and academic certificates. With these arrests, the total number of accused arrested in the case has reached 16.
Forged Certificates And Cash Recovered
During searches, police recovered 59 allegedly forged marksheets, degrees and academic certificates bearing the names of several universities and educational institutions. Investigators also seized ₹4.50 lakh in cash.
Officials said the recovered academic documents will be sent for forensic and technical examination to establish where they were prepared, how they were circulated and whether they were used for jobs, admissions or other official purposes.
₹60 Crore Transactions Under Probe
Police said bank accounts linked to the alleged racket recorded transactions worth nearly ₹60 crore between 2024 and 2026. Five accounts allegedly linked to suspected kingpin Akhilesh Shukla reportedly showed transactions of about ₹50 crore.
Accounts linked to educational institutions associated with Amit Kumar allegedly handled around ₹7 crore, while his personal account reportedly had deposits of nearly ₹80 lakh. Two accounts linked to Gopal Ji allegedly recorded transactions of around ₹4.50 crore and ₹1.18 crore.
Investigators said Akhilesh Shukla, a resident of Unnao, has been identified as the alleged mastermind, while his brother Nikhilesh is also suspected to have played an active role. Police teams are conducting searches to arrest both.
Authorities are also preparing to initiate proceedings under the Gangsters Act and may refer the financial trail to the Enforcement Directorate for examination of possible money laundering aspects. The investigation remains ongoing.
