Kerala University finds KSU leader’s degree certificate fake

 

In a shocking revelation, Kerala University has found that the degree certificate of Ansil Jaleel, the state convenor of Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Congress party, is fake. The register number, the signature and the seal on his B.Com degree certificate are all forged, according to the university authorities.

How was the fraud exposed?

The fraud came to light when Ansil Jaleel applied for admission to a postgraduate course at Kerala University. The university’s examination controller Gopakumar conducted a verification of his certificate and found that it was not issued by the university. He also found that the signature of the vice-chancellor on the certificate was fake. He filed a complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP) against Ansil Jaleel for possessing a fake degree certificate.

What is Ansil Jaleel’s response?

Ansil Jaleel has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he is innocent. He said that he completed his B.Com degree from a private college affiliated to Kerala University in 2018 and obtained his certificate from the college authorities. He said that he was not aware of any irregularities in his certificate and that he had no role in creating it. He also filed a complaint at a police station demanding a detailed probe into the incident.

What is the political implication of the controversy?

The controversy is considered a major blow to KSU, which is at present engaged in state-wide protest against the fake certificate charges levied on several SFI leaders in colleges across Kerala. SFI is the student organisation of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM. KSU has been alleging that many SFI leaders have secured admission to various courses using fake certificates or political influence.

For instance, KSU has accused Nikhil Thomas, an SFI leader of Kayamkulam MSM college, of obtaining an M.Com seat in the same college after submitting a fake degree certificate from Kalinga University in Chhattisgarh. They claimed that Nikhil Thomas failed in his B.Com degree course at MSM college but produced a certificate from Kalinga University when he applied for M.Com admission. They also alleged that CPM leader and syndicate member K H Babujan helped him get admission after the deadline set by Kerala Universit.

KSU has also alleged that P M Arsho, the state secretary of SFI, has not appeared for any exams but was shown as passed in the college website. They also claimed that K Vidya, another SFI leader, claimed to have worked as a guest lecturer in Maharaja’s College in Kochi even as she pursues M.Phil from there.

KSU has demanded a thorough investigation into these allegations and has announced an education bandh in campuses across the state on Tuesday

What is the university’s action?

Kerala University vice chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal has said that the allegation of Ansil Jaleel submitting a fake certificate is a serious one and the university will approach the police to investigate the incident. He also said that the university will conduct a verification of all certificates submitted by students for admission to various courses.

The university has also sought an explanation from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a London-based consultancy firm, for posting Swapna Suresh, an accused in the gold smuggling case, for a government project under the IT portfolio of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Swapna Suresh had allegedly used a fake degree certificate to secure the job at PwC.

What is the legal implication of the controversy?

According to legal experts, possessing or using a fake degree certificate is a criminal offence under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), such as cheating, forgery, fraud and impersonation. The punishment for such offences can range from six months to seven years of imprisonment or fine or both.

The controversy also raises questions about the credibility and quality of higher education in Kerala and the need for stricter regulations and monitoring mechanisms to prevent such malpractices.