Fake freedom fighter certificates kingpin nabbed in UP's Bhadohi

Bhadohi (UP), Dec 11 (PTI) Police on Thursday in Gyanpur area arrested the alleged kingpin of an interstate racket that prepared fake freedom fighter certificates, an officer said.

The fake certificates were used to secure admissions and government jobs under reserved quotas, he said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Shubham Agrawal said the fraud came to light during scrutiny of documents submitted by candidates for recruitment in UP Police.

Several certificates, purportedly issued by the Bhadohi district magistrate's office, were found to be fake.

Agarwal said the gang charged lakhs of rupees for forging certificates, which were used to obtain MBBS admissions in medical colleges, and to secure police and other government jobs.

Investigation identified Sanjay Dubey, 48, of Vindhyachal in Mirzapur district, as the mastermind behind the operation.

Dubey, the officer said, had allegedly been running the racket for nearly 10 years with his nephew, Pradeep.

While Dubey was arrested on Thursday in Gyanpur, Pradeep is still absconding.

The ASP said Dubey had a network spread across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and he had been to jail in Satna and Katni districts in similar cases.

The Uncle-nephew were booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A hunt is on for other members of the gang. PTI COR ABN VN VN