The Hindu : Front Page : Man ‘running’ fake varsity held

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Saturday, Jul 05, 2008
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Man ‘running’ fake varsity held

Staff Reporter

Thousands of certificates seized from Syed Afsaruddin’s office

- PHOTO: P.V. Sivakumar

PHONEY VARSITY: Fake stamps recovered from ‘Golconda University of Hyderabad’ after a raid on Friday.

HYDERABAD: A self-styled educational consultant, who allegedly floated a fake university and duped students by supplying fake educational certificates, was arrested by the city police on Friday.

The accused, Syed Afsaruddin, 45, was arrested after the ‘Golconda University of Hyderabad’ he had floated was raided and thousands of fake certificates seized from its office. The Commissioner’s Task Force DCP A.S.C. Wesley told reporters that the accused was running two more fictitious organisations christened National Institute of Secondary Education and Hyderabad Educational and Research Institute for the past 13 years. All the three fake educational institutions were located in a hired portion in Manoranjan complex at Exhibition Grounds. Police said that Afsaruddin used to release advertisements in local newspapers promising “help to pass Inter, degree and other courses in one sitting with 100 per cent result”.

Lured by these ads, several gullible youths approached him seeking admission in various courses. Depending on the education programme, Afsaruddin used to charge fee ranging from Rs. 4,500 to Rs. 15,000 from the candidates. He would then make fake educational certificates using computers and scanners in the name of any of the three institutes. Youngsters going abroad for jobs and desirous of some standing in the society used to approach him.

Tie-up

Afsaruddin confessed to the police that he tried for a tie-up with JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth (deemed) University, Punjab Technical University and University of Madras, but failed in completing the formalities. “Then, he thought of starting fake institutions and floated the Golconda university,” Mr. Wesley explained.

Afsaruddin also employed some workers to make the applicants approaching his office believe that his organisations were genuine. Three computers, two printers, lamination machine and several stamps were seized.

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