Marks card racket busted in Mangaluru, two arrested

The City Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths have busted a marks card racket and arrested two persons.

City Police Commissioner M Chandrasekhar told mediapersons that the arrested are Askan Sheikh, 22 (resident of Chembugudde) and Goutham R, 32 (resident of Kuloor).

Based on a tip-off that the duo were issuing fake certificates of various universities through their institute - Mangalore Institute of Management and Engineering (MIME) at Trupthi Complex on Kankanady-Pumpwell Road, the CCB sleuths raided the institute and seized various certificates, three laptops, 18 fake seals, fake marks cards, printer, papers, hologram stickers and mobile phones.

The duo were issuing SSLC, PUC, diploma, BE and MBA marks cards among others. The fake degrees and diplomas were of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra; Alpha Institute of Management and Technology Science, Bengaluru; VTU, Belagavi; Shridhar University, Pilani, Rajasthan; Techno Globe University, Shillong, Meghalaya; Karnataka State Open University; Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management; Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University, Nalbari, Assam; All India Higher Education Board; MIME.

While the duo were selling SSLC and PU certificates for Rs 10,000, diploma and degree certificates were priced at Rs 35,000 and MBA certificates cost Rs 45,000. They had “created” Mangalore Public School and were issuing SSLC marks cards/certificates in its name.

Sheikh, who has studied Mechanical Engineering (but did not clear final year) founded MIME in June 2015.

The institute also provides three year civil and mechanical engineering diploma, but does not have recognition from any university.

Goutham is a MCom graduate and was working as a marketing executive, till they started the racket.

“The duo have already issued certificates to about 200 students,” the Commissioner said and added that most of the students who obtained them were aspirants of jobs in foreign countries.