School Teacher’s Moles in DU Scam
Crime branch sleuths of the Delhi Police have discovered
that some teachers at two elite schools in the Capital colluded in a racket in which
at least 40 aspirants to Delhi University got admission to colleges of their choice
on the basis of fake caste certificates.
Two days after the police busted the racket, it was found that the three fixers-Himanshu
Gupta, Vikas Prakash and Ketan Gupta who ran their operation for the past four years,
had moles in high profile schools in central and south Delhi, the names of which
the police declined to disclose.
"Certain school teachers will also be questioned in the matter," said a senior police
officer.
The school teachers helped the trio by identifying students from wealthy families
who would be willing to shell out lakhs of rupees to get admission in top colleges.
Describing the modus operandi of the racketeers, Ashok Chand, deputy commissioner
of police (crime), said, “The fixers would identify paranoid parents and suggest
that they approach the educational consultancy firm run by them to ensure that their
child got a seat in one of the top colleges in the university.“ The fixers, none
of who studied in Delhi University, charged the wealthy and unscrupulous parents
anything between Rs. 3 and Rs. 5 lakh to get their children admitted to top DU colleges.
They would procure fake scheduled caste or scheduled tribe certificates through
their connections at a tehsil office in south Delhi's Mehrauli area and the rest
was easy.
Police sources said that at least seven parents whose children were 'helped' by
the racketeers, had spread the word around about the 'resourcefulness' of Himanshu
Gupta and his associates.
After unearthing a racket where students got admission on fake caste certificates,
Delhi police suspects more such gangs are active who lure students and got them
admitted in various Delhi University colleges. Sources in Delhi police's crime branch
said there are separate gangs who are involved in the admission racket and now that
they have arrested three members of a gang, other gangs will be targeted soon.
"During the questioning of the SC/ST cell staff, we have got to know that the racket
was continuing with their connivance. Also, the SC/ST cell staff is in touch with
more such agents and now they will be identified," said a senior police officer.
Sources said the gang had identified the weak links in the admission system and
were taking advantage of that.
"We have information that this is not the only gang which has been luring students.
There are more such gangs active and they generally advertise themselves as consultancy
firms. We are keeping a special watch on such firms," he added. A team of Delhi
police went to Ghaziabad to verify caste certificates the gang had obtained from
the Tehsildar's office there.
The fourth accused in the case, Satish, is still absconding. The two laptops seized
from Himanshu Gupta and Vikas Khanna has been sent for forensic examination. "It
will take at least two days to examine the laptops and we are expecting crucial
details from them. Currently, the verification of caste certificates is going on
and we have also informed Delhi University," the officer said. Police have also
seized two bank accounts of Himanshu.
One account has Rs. 3 lakh in it. Police are also questioning a peon in the SC/ST
cell who they suspect is involved with the gang.
On Saturday 25th June, Delhi police arrested three persons, Himanshu Gupta, Vikas
Khanna and Ketan Gupta who used to help students get into Delhi University's colleges
by providing fake caste certificates.
The gang which was active since 2008 had got more than 40 students admitted in various
DU colleges and the future of these students now is in limbo as their admission
had to be cancelled.
Courtesy: Hindustan Times
