Chandrapur authorities are probing a significant fake degree and academic certificate racket believed to have operated for the past eight years. Investigators estimate that around 40 fraudulent degrees may have been sold, though the actual figure could be much higher. The police are continuing their inquiries to uncover the full extent of this operation, which raises serious concerns about academic integrity in the region.
Police sources said the alleged mastermind Parimal Baburao Gaurkar had been running the racket since 2018. He allegedly supplied fake degrees, marksheets, diplomas and migration certificates for Rs5 lakh to Rs10 lakh. Police are also verifying his own academic qualifications. Investigators are identifying those who obtained the forged credentials and probing their production, financial transactions and the total money generated by the racket. Police suspect the network may extend beyond Chandrapur and are looking into the involvement of others.
Vaibhav Sonule, who was arrested earlier, was sent to judicial custody. Gaurkar was arrested from Nagpur on Friday along with alleged accomplice Akshay Khobragade, taking the number of arrests in the case to three. A court on Saturday remanded both in police custody for three days.