The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police has intensified its crackdown on the illicit fake degree and diploma syndicate that surfaced during the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) Recruitment Examination 2022. Investigating officers have broadened their scope from candidates attempting to secure government jobs through forged paperwork to the brokers operating the network and senior administrative officials at non-government universities. In the latest breakthrough, law enforcement authorities apprehended a key broker identified as Deepak Sharma for his alleged involvement in procuring and selling counterfeit educational credentials. His arrest marks a pivotal turn in the ongoing probe connected to FIR number 13/2024, which was initially lodged against broker Subhash Poonia regarding widespread fraudulent practices associated with OPJS University located in Churu district.
Decoy Operation Leads to Broker Arrest in OPJS University Connection
According to investigative details revealed by the SOG, Deepak Sharma had been evading law enforcement after being designated as a wanted suspect in a specialized decoy operation. The covert operation was planned and executed by the investigative agency specifically to infiltrate and dismantle the clandestine fake degree nexus. SOG operatives gathered critical intelligence regarding the inner workings of the operation during this undercover mission, which directly implicated Deepak Sharma in facilitating counterfeit diplomas and degree certificates. Following his successful capture, investigators are working to track down every branch of this illegal operation. The focus of the interrogation now centers on determining the precise number of candidates who purchased forged documents through him, identifying all associate brokers, and mapping out the full hierarchy of individuals responsible for printing and validating fake academic records.
Top Administrative Officials Arrested at Shri Satya Sai University
Parallel to the actions taking place in Churu, the SOG has also taken stringent measures in a second interconnected case involving Shri Satya Sai University of Technology and Medical Sciences, located in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh. In this secondary module of the fake degree investigation, authorities have already arrested three high-ranking representatives of the institution: Vice-Chancellor Mukesh Tiwari, Controller of Examinations Sanjay Rathore, and Computer Operator Anand Sharma. This specific line of investigation originated from FIR number 80/2024, filed against an exam candidate named Bharmal Ram after preliminary verification revealed severe anomalies in his submitted credentials.
The discrepancy came to light when officials scrutinizing Bharmal Ram's application discovered that while he had explicitly written the name of OPJS University in Churu when filling out his recruitment application form, the actual physical degree certificates and mark sheets he attached belonged to Shri Satya Sai University of Technology and Medical Sciences. This glaring inconsistency triggered an in-depth forensic check, which confirmed that his academic documents were entirely fake. Tracing the origin of these fraudulent certificates allowed the SOG to uncover direct complicity at the highest institutional levels, culminating in the formal arrests of the Vice-Chancellor, the Controller of Examinations, and the university's computer operator.
Counterfeit B.P.Ed Degrees Sold for Rs 1 Lakh
The SOG's investigation has brought to light the commercial scale of the operation, establishing that fake Bachelor of Physical Education (B.P.Ed) degrees were being produced and supplied to candidates for a fixed fee of Rs 1 lakh each. Multiple aspirants had attempted to use these paid fraudulent credentials to clear the selection process of the PTI Recruitment Examination 2022. Recognizing that the issue extends beyond isolated instances of candidate cheating, the investigating agency is treating the matter as an organized crime enterprise. The probe now encompasses everyone involved in creating forged paper stock, fabricating official university seals, distributing certificates, and processing illegal money transactions associated with the trade.
Legal proceedings are moving forward rapidly on both fronts. The three arrested officials from Shri Satya Sai University—Vice-Chancellor Mukesh Tiwari, Controller of Examinations Sanjay Rathore, and Computer Operator Anand Sharma—are scheduled to be produced before the designated court upon the completion of their current police remand period. Meanwhile, the apprehension of Deepak Sharma is expected to significantly accelerate the investigation into OPJS University in Churu. Investigating officers face critical questions as they move forward, primarily seeking to determine the full geographical reach of this fake degree cartel and ascertain the exact number of candidates who attempted to gain government employment across various recruitment exams using forged credentials.
