01 July,2011 07:24 AM IST | | Anurag Jadli
The Crime Branch today has arrested two employees of Delhi University's SC/ST cell for their alleged involvement in a racket operating in the varsity to help students get admission in colleges on the basis of fake caste certificates.
Nabbed: Sanjit Mahajan and Neeraj Sharma. Pic/Imtiyaz Khan
The two arrested are Sanjit Mahajan (36) and Neeraj Sharma (33). Sanjeet had started working as a lower division clerk in 1997 and later got promoted to the post of assistant in SC/ST cell. Neeraj joined DU as an employee in 2001 and became an office assistant in 2008.
From one cell to another
"The SC/ST cell had set up three centres, one each in the north campus, south campus and Shyam Lal College in east Delhi, to accept DU admission forms. The main accused in the case, Himanshu, had deposited many forms in the college centre as Sanjit was posted there," said Ashok Chand, DCP (crime and railways).
He said: "Sanjit used to accept all the forms which Himanshu submitted, even if they were not accompanied with relevant documents. Instead of canceling them, he used to keep them for sometime and later replaced the original documents with fake ones."u00a0 Police said Sanjit got Rs 12,000 and Neeraj charged Rs 5,000 as commission for every student. Sanjit and Himanshu used to talk over four times with each other on phone everyday in the last three months.
Who's the kingpin?
The Crime Branch on Thursday said the kingpin of the gang was Pradeep and not Himanshu as it had earlier claimed. Police said Pradeep started the business of fake certificates and roped in Himanshu.
According to a police source, during interrogation Himanshu has said that he became a part of the racket because of Pradeep. Pradeep had given him the idea and then they both started the business of fake certificates in 2008. They worked together till 2010 after which Pradeep left the gang because of some financial disputes between them.u00a0 Pradeep started his own business in Madangir area of south Delhi.
Net connection
Himanshu said he used to receive details of students on the internet and he rarely met clients. Earlier, Himashu had told the police that he got into the business of fake certificate after one his friends was denied admission in a DU college as he did not have a sports certificate. He had arranged a fake certificate for the friend for Rs 5 lakh and got his admission done.
"Police have launched a manhunt to nab Pradeep and Satish. We have conducted raids in Madangir area in south Delhi, areas near DU and Ghaziabad," said a police official. Three accused, Himanshu Gupta, Vikash and Ketan Gupta were arrested on June 23.
No escape
The DU authorities on Thursday said strict action will be taken against those involved in the fake certificates scam. "As per university rules, varsity officials tour the colleges during the admission process. We will not allow any racket to operate in the campus. Till now, we have not received any word from the police regarding the investigation," said a DU official.u00a0u00a0The VC refused to comment on the issue although MiD DAY contacted him. Vardhan Chaudhry, NSUI state president, said: "We have expelled the NSUI member reported to be involved in the scam from the primary party membership."u00a0u00a0
