Bengaluru: A 46-year-old real estate dealer has exposed a fake markscard racket run by a distance education academy in Ramarao Layout of Kathriguppe, Banashankari II Stage in south Bengaluru. Following his complaint, Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths have arrested Monish, aged 28 years, who runs the academy and are investigating.
Mirza Inamul Huq, a resident of Palace Guttahalli, approached CCB police recently, informing them about the racket run by Mercury Academy, Distance Education Centre. Huq's nephew, Mirza Nameath Ul Huq, 28, who studied until class 10, wanted to continue his further studies in correspondence (distance) education.
He and his family members searched for institutions providing distance education on the internet and contacted Mercury Academy. Nameath informed his uncle Huq about the academy. They called the mobile number 9739770484 mentioned in the academy's portal. Monish picked the call and introduced himself as the head of the academy. When the complainant enquired about the admission, Monish claimed that they were affiliated with many reputed universities and would help his nephew. Monish suggested Huq visit the academy in person so that they could further explain how they work.
Accordingly, Huq took his nephew to the academy on Oct 20. Huq told Monish to get admission for his nephew for PUC. Monish allegedly told Huq not to worry about the exam as they have links with the officials in the education board and universities. He would manage to get the markscard without examination in a month or two if they were ready to pay Rs 2 lakh.
Huq told Monish that they didn't want to fake anything and asked him to get admission for Nameath or they didn't want any kind of business with him or his academy and walked out. Monish called him the next morning and explained how their connections were with the universities and suggested he not waste his nephew's two years in making him appear for the exam.
He also sent a few markscards as evidence to convince them that they were genuine and provided a link to the Karnataka State Council of Intermediate And Higher Education ‘www.karnatakastatecouncil.in' to check them by entering the enrolment number and serial number of the sample markscard sent to him. He said the officials and universities would issue the markscard with a previous year's date and managed to convince Huq to share details of his nephew, including a photo and SSLC marks card. Huq made an online payment of Rs 10,000 to 9739770484 through a digital payment application on the same day as a registration fee.
Monish claimed to have registered Nameath's name and, citing course fee and bribe, collected Rs 1 lakh more from Huq. On Monday, Monish asked Huq to collect his nephew's PUC markscard from the academy by paying the remaining amount.
Huq decided to stop the racket with evidence. After learning that the markscard was ready, he approached CCB police and filed a complaint. As per the instructions, he went to the academy to collect the markscard, and the CCB sleuths in plainclothes caught Monish red-handed. Police seized many documents, including markscards and other students' details from the academy, along with electronic devices such as a laptop, and are investigating further.
A police officer said it appears that the academy issued the markscards fraudulently for many students and cheated both students and the govt. A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 318 (cheating), 336 (forgery), and 340 (forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine).