Fake marks card racket busted in Karnataka, three arrested

The accused, according to the police, registered an education academy under the name ‘Karnataka State Middle and Higher Educational Board’. Even though the company did not have any approval from the State education board, the accused claimed that their education system was equivalent to the State education system.

Following a tip-off, the Economic Offence Wing of the Central Crime Branch busted a fake SSLC and PUC marks cards racket. They arrested a gang of three operating in three districts across Karnataka to sell the fake marks cards.

The accused — Prashanth Gudumi, 41, from Dharwad, Mounish K.J., 36, from Banashankari in Bengaluru, and Rajashekhar H., 41 from Gadag — were charging anywhere between ₹5,000 and ₹20,000 for each marks card.

The accused, according to the police, registered an education academy under the name ‘Karnataka State Middle and Higher Educational Board’. Even though the company did not have any approval from the State education board, the accused claimed that their education system was equivalent to the State education system.

Prashanth and Mounish are MBA graduates and Rajashekhar has completed his BA. They were operating their racket offering marks cards from Dharward, Belagavi, Gadag and Bengaluru, police said.

Police suspect that the accused had printed and distributed over 350 fake marks cards using which some of their customers even obtained jobs in the State’s transport and child welfare departments. Others have obtained jobs in private companies, got passports and other government IDs, police said.

The accused used to reply to the verification calls from different government departments to cross-check the genuineness of the marks cards during the job selection process.

The racket came to light when Mirza Inamulla, a businessman from Palace Guttahalli, contacted Mounish at his office in Banashankari to inquire about a distance education course for his nephew. Mounish offered to give him marks card without attending any class or exam, for a price, and even offered to arrange the SSLC and PU certificate.