Mumbai Police Bust Major Admission Racket at Somaiya Colleges

Mumbai, Maharashtra: In a major breakthrough, the Tilak Nagar Police arrested three individuals, including two senior clerks from Somaiya Vidyavihar University, for orchestrating a fraudulent admission scheme. The accused manipulated merit percentages and uploaded forged marksheets and certificates to the government portal, securing unauthorized admissions for low-scoring students.

The arrested clerks, Mahendra Vishnu Patil (45) from SK Somaiya College and Arjun Rathod (43) from KJ Somaiya College, exploited their positions during the Maharashtra Government's centralized Class 11 admission process. They altered merit percentages and submitted fake documents for 49 students, affecting several institutions within Somaiya Vidyavihar. Devendra Suryakanth Sadaye (55) provided forged marks to meet cut-off criteria. The scam was exposed when the college noticed discrepancies during the admission process and reported it to the State Education Department.

The accused face charges under the Indian Penal Code for cheating, forgery, and using forged documents, along with violations under the Information Technology Act. These charges emphasize the serious legal repercussions of the scheme.

This case underscores the importance of strict verification processes in educational admissions. The police's swift action and the college's cooperation highlight the commitment to preventing similar frauds in the future. Authorities are continuing their investigation to prosecute all involved.