Jaipur: A Special Operations Group (SOG) probe into alleged irregularities in the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) Recruitment Examination-2022 led to a suspected backdated degree racket at a private university in Madhya Pradesh, after digital records allegedly showed academic entries being created months after they were purportedly made.
Anand Sharma
ADG, SOG Vishal Bansal said that the investigation began with the case of Bharmal Ram, a candidate who secured a govt PTI post after allegedly using a dummy candidate to appear in the examination. SOG investigators later found that the Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd) degree he used during the recruitment process was allegedly not genuine.
Sanjay Rathore
Bansal said the investigation exposed discrepancies in the records of the university from which Bharmal had obtained his BPEd degree.Bansal said SOG Monday arrested Mukesh Tiwari, Vice-Chancellor of Shri Satya Sai University of Technology and Medical Sciences in Sehore, along with Sanjay Rathore, controller of examinations, and Anand Sharma, a computer operator at the university. They were produced in court and remanded in police custody for questioning.SOG said Bharmal initially cited a BPEd degree from OPJS University, Churu, while applying, but during document verification submitted a degree from the Sehore-based university. Investigators subsequently obtained a search warrant and seized university records and computer data.A forensic financial examination of seized material allegedly found two separate fee ledgers created in Bharmal’s name. SOG said the examination results were declared on Oct 21, 2022, but the fee-ledger entries were allegedly created after that date and later shown as having been made earlier, raising suspicion that records were prepared retrospectively to support the degree.The probe has also raised questions about other candidates who submitted BPEd degrees from the same university.SOG said the institution has an approved intake of 100 BPEd seats, but a large number of students from Rajasthan obtained degrees from it in batches preceding the recruitment exam, with many appearing prima facie to have been issued retrospectively.The records and digital evidence relating to the 66 candidates are now being examined to establish whether the alleged manipulation was confined to Bharmal or formed part of a wider arrangement.Bharmal, who was arrested earlier, allegedly cleared the PTI examination after arranging for a dummy candidate to appear in his place and was subsequently appointed as a govt PTI. SOG has already filed a chargesheet against him.
