Techies arrested for selling fake certificates to job seekers

Hyderabad: The Special Operations Teams (SOT) Madhapur and KPHB police apprehended an 11-member interstate gang, including seven software employees, for selling fake certificates to job-seekers for Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. The racket had been operating out of Vijayawada since January 2020, and approximately 100 job-seekers had been sold fake certificates.

The gang had fake certificates from 18 universities, as well as SSC and Intermediate Boards from 13 states, according to police, who seized fake education certificates, recommendation letters, fake seals, stamps, logos, ATM cards, Aadhaar cards, and mobile phones.

According to Cyberabad police commissioner Stephen Raveendra, the accused were identified as Kota Kishore Kumar, 42, Bokka Venkateshwara Rao, 31, Kurella Kiran Kumar, 41, and Athunuri Krishna Kanth Reddy, 31. Three accused from West Bengal, including Rahul Ghosh, Sanjay Varma, and Prathima Patil, are stated to be absconding.

The software employees who sold fake certificates to job seekers were identified as Thumu Madhukar, 24, Relacharla Gopala Krsihna, 25, Bairagani Rajesh Goud, 23, Rondla Devendar Reddy, 30, Kudeti Krishna Sai, 28, Avva Raghavendra Gupta, 35, and Shaik Baba Ghouse, 28.  

The racket was unearthed after a complaint from Mungara Venkateshwar Rao, an intermediate pass-out, who reportedly approached a hostel warden, Krishna Kanth Reddy, for job openings. "Krishna Kanth Reddy advised him to meet his friend Bokka Venkateshwar Rao, claiming that he could get degree certificates from the best universities for Rs 90,000." Subsequently, Venkatashwar Rao bought a BCom certificate from Chowdary Charan Singh University, Meerut, which was delivered via courier," Raveendra said.

Based on the information, a team from Vijayawada apprehended Krishna Kanth Reddy, Bokka Venkateshwar Rao, and the main accused Kota Kishore.

During interrogation, Kishore had admitted that he was laid off during the Covid pandemic in 2020. He established 'Kampus Services' for jobs, educational and priest services on Nirmala Convent Road, near Benz Circle in Vijayawada.

He came into contact with the accused from West Bengal, Sanjay Varma, Rahul Gosh, and Prathima Patil, who were providing fake study certificates from various universities.