New Delhi: A shadow education network selling fake Class X and XII certificates for up to Rs 10,000 each has been busted. Three alleged masterminds have also been arrested.Police said the gang supplied nearly 150 forged mark sheets, using the expired registration of an educational institution to issue backdated certificates, making them appear genuine.According to police, a tip-off was received on June 30 that Navneet Tyagi, a 53-year-old resident of Shahdara, was involved in preparing and supplying these fake certificates.To verify the information, police deployed a decoy customer who, through a secret informer, sent his photograph, Aadhaar card and a copy of his Class X marksheet to the suspect on WhatsApp, requesting a fake Class XII mark sheet.“Police raided the area near Miraz Cinema on GT Road in Shahdara on July 17 and apprehended Tyagi,” said DCP (Shahdara) Rajendra Prasad Meena. Officers also seized two fake mark sheets — one each for Classes X and XII.An FIR was registered at Shahdara police station under sections 318 (cheating), 322 (dishonest or fraudulent execution of deed of transfer containing false statement of consideration) and 342 (counterfeiting device or mark used for authenticating documents, or possessing counterfeit marked material) of BNS.During interrogation, Tyagi allegedly disclosed involvement of two accomplices, identified as Sabab Alam (41), a resident of Ghaziabad, and Fareed Ahmad Saifi (49), of Delhi’s Maujpur. Both were later arrested.The accused allegedly confessed to supplying around 100 to 150 fake Class X and XII certificates and mark sheets, charging customers between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 for each forged document.Police have seized a laptop, printer and other equipment allegedly used to prepare the forged documents from the accused’s possession.
