'Educationist' arrested in fake marks card scam

G Srinivasa Reddy

Police have busted an elaborate fake marks scam by arresting the owner of an educational institution in northern Bengaluru.

G Srinivasa Reddy, 42, the founder of VSS Institute of Education Research and Charitable Trust and Sri Venkateshwar International Education Society, located in 5th Main Mahalakshmi Layout, was arrested by the Central Crime Branch’s (CCB) economic offences wing on Tuesday. Fake marks cards of well-know open universities, desktop computers and rubber-stamps were seized from him, police said.

Police believe that Reddy, who hails from Andra Pradesh but lived in Delhi before moving in Bengaluru in 2004, had been selling the fake marks cards for anywhere between Rs 40,000 and Rs 2 lakh to private firm employees. He also operated out of an apartment in Rajajinagar.

A senior police officer said Reddy would lure students in the name of distance education courses. He would conduct exams and declare results by giving fake marks cards from prestigious universities.

Police said Reddy faked the marks cards of the Delhi Academic Council for Higher Education; Manav Bharti University, Sultanpur, Himachal Pradesh; the National Institute of Open Schooling, Noida; Dr CV Raman University, Bilaspur; Willian Carey University, Shillong, Meghalaya; EIILM University, Sikkim; Calorx Teachers’ University, Gujarat, and Venkateswara University, Tirupati.

Police raided Reddy’s educational institutions following complaints from students. They believe the scam went on for so long because not many students used the marks cards while applying for government jobs.

The CCB has secured Reddy’s custody for 10 days and will interrogate him to find out if more people are involved in the scam.