Pune: Savitribai Phule Pune University employee Ramesh Mukhekar, accused of fabricating fake mark sheets and degree certificates in exchange for money, was arrested late on Wednesday by Chatushringi police on charges of forgery and cheating. He was produced before a court on Thursday and remanded in police custody till Aug 4.NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar met vice-chancellor Suresh Gosavi on Thursday and demanded a forensic audit of all degrees issued by the university since 2015, claiming the scam could not have been carried out by a lone employee.He sought a report from the university within 10 days, saying that accountability must be fixed at every level, including the higher education ministry, if degrees were found to have been issued through fraudulent means.Senior inspector Uttam Bhajnawale said they have confiscated Mukhekar’s cellphone as evidence and were investigating the matter. “As of now, there appears to be a lone victim. We have yet to call the father for questioning. Prima facie, it looks like Mukhekar was using online tools to forge the certificates. He did not print them on the authentic paper used for degree certificates. As of now, no other employee of the university seems to be involved. However, further investigations will reveal the scope of the fraud,” he added.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Pawar questioned why it took the university so long to get its act together and investigate when the initial complaint was filed by activist Dhammaratna Gaikwad almost a month ago alleging that bogus degree certificates were being issued in exchange for money.“Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) did nothing and only sprang into action after news outlets picked it up. This case does not end with Mukhekar. One fake degree has come to light, there could be many more,” Pawar said. He demanded that Mukhekar’s cellphone undergo a forensic examination and that investigators retrieve and analyse his WhatsApp chats to identify other people involved.“We learnt that Mukhekar has been with the university since 2016. Therefore, a forensic audit of all degrees issued since 2015 must be conducted to identify everyone responsible. A low-ranking employee would not have had the confidence to carry out such a large fraud alone. We must find out how high this goes,” Pawar said.The MLA, drawing a comparison, said, “When the NEET paper leak occurred, the Union education minister was held accountable. If degrees are being issued without students appearing for examinations or attending classes, why should the higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil not be held responsible? If the university fails to act within 10 days, we will demand his resignation.”Pawar wanted to know whether the university’s software system had been manipulated and if candidates who allegedly obtained fake degrees had secured jobs using those documents.MLA alleges irregularity in varsity recruitmentsPawar alleged that visiting faculty are being recruited by the university without following UGC rules which say all rules of recruitment for regular professors are applicable to visiting faculty. A senior official from the university denied these allegations.“All departments are autonomous. Sometimes they call experts in their fields, like retired judges, or serving industrialists or engineers, or even media personnel to deliver lectures and share their knowledge with the students. We cannot expect them to be NET/SET qualified,” he said.Pawar also alleged irregularities in faculty recruitment, claiming that people of a specific ideology were being favoured in recruitments and that interview marks were being manipulated to favour select candidates despite weaker academic records.He said the university has failed to provide adequate transport and hostel facilities despite substantial financial resources.
