Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 12: The city police came to know about a huge fake marks card racket that was thriving in the city with the arrest of Sandeep Reddy (45), owner of Sri Venkateshwara Educational Institute. The central crime branch (CCB) police had raided the spot after they were alerted about the operation of such a racket. The raid conducted on the night of Tuesday December 10 on Sri Venkateshwara Educational Institute at Mahalakshmi Layout opened up a Pandora's Box.

The raiding party found material printing marks card and more than 45 stamps of open universities from different parts of the country.

Sandeep Reddy

Sandeep Reddy, it is learnt, had come here over a decade back. After working as IT consultant for a few years, he had set up Sri Venkateshwara Educational Institute for extending career guidance services and training for students pursuing engineering and commerce degrees. It is said that Reddy told the students that his institute could help them to procure degrees from the universities or colleges of their liking. He also claimed that his institute was an examination centre for universities in case of students opting for correspondence courses.

The CCB officials are almost certain that those who acquired fake degree certificates and marks cards from Reddy knew that he was operating a racket of fake degrees as they would have paid huge sums to acquire them. Reportedly, Reddy charged between Rs 2.5 lac to eight lac for bachelor in engineering degree and other degrees including M Phil. They said they are yet to assess the actual size of the scandal and how many people were involved or duped. Reddy's house was also raided where stamps used for marks cards were found, they added.

The police have registered first information report against Reddy under section 419 and 420 of Indian Penal Code and hope to bring out more details in course of time.