Navsari police busts Fake Certificate Racket, two arrested

Navsari :  The Navsari police have arrested two individuals involved in the creation and sale of fake mark sheets of SSC and HSC, school leaving certificates, and ITI leaving certificates.

The accused were allegedly operating a clandestine business, producing counterfeit documents using Adobe Photoshop software and selling them for Rs 9,000 each to job seekers aspiring to secure positions in chemical factories and Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) areas in Navsari and the surrounding Valsad district.

The two suspects, Mukesh Bachubhai Patel, 40, a resident of Lilavati Society in Gandevi’s Amalsad, and his accomplice Surjeet Singh Bharani, were apprehended following a meticulous investigation by the Navsari police. The primary accused, Mukesh Patel, had completed his ITI and acquired expertise in Adobe Photoshop, allowing him to fabricate certificates from government and private institutions, which were then sold to job seekers.

The police initiated an extensive probe after suspicions arose that unemployed and undereducated youths in Navsari district were obtaining fake mark sheets and experience certificates to secure employment in chemical factories and GIDC establishments.

Several GIDCs are situated in Surat and Vapi in South Gujarat, where relevant experience is a prerequisite for job placement. To circumvent this requirement, some individuals resorted to acquiring counterfeit certificates due to their lack of authentic qualifications.

The investigation is currently underway to determine the extent of the scam and how many youths may have procured certificates from the two fraudsters.

Mukesh Patel, the mastermind behind the illicit operation, employed his Photoshop skills to create counterfeit documents. Surjeet Singh Bharani, the second accused, was responsible for identifying and reaching out to job-seeking individuals. Patel would charge Surjeet Rs 4,000 for each fabricated document, which Surjeet would subsequently sell for Rs 9,000.

SK Rai, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) in Navsari, provided insight into the operation, stating that Mukesh Patel had acquired his Photoshop skills from a private academy in Navsari. Patel meticulously scanned certificates from various institutions, both government and private, and edited them using Photoshop to create counterfeit 10th and 12th-grade mark sheets, school leaving certificates, and ITI leaving certificates. Meanwhile, Surjeet Singh Bharani played a pivotal role in identifying individuals in need of such documents.

The police have seized seven counterfeit documents, along with a computer printer used in their production, and confiscated Rs 22,000 in cash. As the investigation unfolds, authorities aim to ascertain how many individuals have acquired fake documents from the two accused and the potential consequences of their actions.