Jamnagar man held for fake education certificate scam

Man Arrested for Selling Fake Documents at Mumbai Airport

MUMBAI: The Sahar police arrested a 39-year-old man on Sunday. He was intercepted by immigration officers at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The accused, Prathamesh Maniyar from Jamnagar in Gujarat, is the mastermind of a racket selling fake identification documents and education certificates to job seekers for foreign countries.

Details of the Arrest

Maniyar arrived from Bangkok on Sunday at 2:30 AM after allegedly dropping off job aspirants. He could not explain his profession when questioned by immigration counter officer Rohithash Kumar. This raised suspicions, and he was taken to the passenger profiling officer. Maniyar claimed he helped people gain admission to schools and colleges in Gujarat and also assisted them in getting jobs in Canada and the UK.

Evidence Found

After his arrest, police seized his phone. They discovered fake certificates from the Gujarat Education Board, fake provisional certificates and degrees, and fake marksheets in the names of students. They also found screenshots of conversations with agents. Additional fake documents included provisional certificates and marksheets from Mansarovar Global University in MP, Avadh University in Ayodhya, ISBM University in Chhattisgarh, and a degree from Arni University in Himachal Pradesh.

Background of the Illegal Business

The police stated that Maniyar had been active in this illegal business since 2015. He charged ₹50,000 to ₹200,000 for each fake certificate through various bank accounts. He had established a large network of agents across the country who created fake documents.

Ongoing Investigation

A case has been registered against Maniyar for preparing fake documents, cheating, and misleading various institutions. The police are investigating how many people bought the fake certificates, the number of agents in Maniyar’s network since 2015, how many people were cheated, and who else was associated with the gang.