Police use water cannon to disperse KSU workers marching to Maharaja’s College in Kochi against the controversy over fake experience certificates and mark sheets on June 7, 2023. photo credit: RK Nitin
On June 12, a team of Next Police led by DSP N Muraleedharan visited Maharaja College as part of the investigation being conducted on a case registered in connection with A former student Alleged fake experience certificate submitted by Vidya During a job interview at Government RGM Arts and Science College, Attapadi.
The investigation team recorded the statement of Bindu Sharmila TK, Vice Principal of the college and collected documentary evidence including the model of experience certificate issued by the college. She was in-charge in the absence of Principal VS Joy.
Read also: Fake certificate controversy: Teachers’ association defends Maharaja’s College
Coming out after recording the statement and verifying the documents, Mr Muraleedharan rejected the notion that the police were going slow in the case. “If this was the case, police teams would not be checking multiple places at once. We got the file only on Friday and the next two days were holidays. However, Mr. Muraleedharan said that the police do not know where Vidya is.
A police team led by next station house officer Salim K had on Saturday searched his house at Thrikkaripur in Kasaragod. However, they could neither trace him nor the original of the allegedly forged document submitted by him.
Talking to the media, Ms. Sharmila said that the police team was informed about the difference between the experience certificate issued by the college and the model made by Vidya. He reiterated that it was actually a fake certificate as the college had not appointed any guest lecturer in the last 10 years and hence had not issued any certificate.
The sections, wording and format of the certificate prepared by Vidya were different from the pattern adopted by the college. Moreover, the certificate was dated April 1, 2021, which was a holiday and hence no such certificate could have been issued by the college on that day, Ms. Sharmila said.
He said that the signature and seal of the certificate could be obtained from the joining certificate issued by the college after Vidya was selected for internship in the college under Aspire scholarship. (Scholarships have been established by the state government to engage postgraduate and PhD students in research.)
“We have given all available details to the police. The college has not helped (in making fake certificates),” Ms. Sharmila said.
The case, initially registered by the Kochi City Police on a petition by the college principal making the charge non-bailable, was handed over to the next police last week.