Fake degree racket linked to firefighter, librarian exams busted; ‘university’ director arrested

Jaipur: A large fake degree network that supplied forged qualifications for competitive recruitment exams, including firefighter and librarian posts, has come under the scanner in Rajasthan. The state police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) has arrested the director of a Chennai-based entity that was operating as a university without any legal recognition.

The accused, Arun Sag Besan, associated with an institution linked to Bharat Sevak Samaj (BSS), was taken into custody from Chennai on Wednesday. Investigators say the so-called university functioned without mandatory government approval or registration, yet offered more than 100 professional courses across the country.

According to SOG officials, the operation relied heavily on WhatsApp to manage admissions, coordinate payments and communicate with candidates. Once prepared, fake degrees were dispatched to applicants through courier services, making the racket difficult to trace at first glance.

The forged certificates were allegedly used by candidates appearing in various recruitment examinations in Rajasthan, including those for firefighter and librarian posts. With the arrest, thousands of degrees issued by the institution have now come under verification, raising concerns about the integrity of past selection processes.

Further investigation has revealed that the fake university had granted unauthorised affiliations to nearly 7,000 institutions nationwide. One such institute operating in Dausa district of Rajasthan has already led to another arrest, indicating the scale of the network.

Senior police officers said the crackdown was carried out under the directions of ADG Vishal Bansal and the supervision of DIG Paris Deshmukh. The SOG is now expanding the probe to identify other individuals, partner institutions and beneficiaries who may have used fraudulent degrees to secure jobs or academic advantages.