Fake Degree Racket Busted in Lucknow, Thousands Under Scanner

Fake Degrees for Sale: Inside a Lucknow Network That Monetised Academic Credentials

In a quiet commercial pocket of Lucknow, investigators say a shadow industry had been operating for years—one that turned academic qualifications into tradable commodities and blurred the line between education and impersonation. Police now say they have uncovered a sophisticated racket that produced and sold forged university degrees, enabling buyers to secure jobs and professional credibility without ever setting foot on a campus.

The operation came to light after a targeted police raid led to the arrest of three men: Satyendra Dwivedi from Ayodhya, Akhilesh Kumar from Unnao, and Saurabh Sharma from Lakhimpur Kheri. According to investigators, the trio ran a coordinated forgery setup that manufactured counterfeit degrees and mark sheets carrying the names, seals and branding of at least 25 universities across India.

Among the institutions whose identities were allegedly misused were Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Kalinga University and Sabarmati University. Officers say the forged documents were designed to withstand basic employer checks, particularly in private-sector hiring where verification processes are often outsourced or inconsistently applied.

Searches conducted during the raid uncovered more than 900 forged certificates, along with fake university seals, letterheads and digital templates stored across multiple laptops. Investigators believe the operation functioned like a production line, with documents customised to match the career aspirations of individual buyers.

Pricing depended on the level of qualification. Undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in arts and commerce were allegedly sold for tens of thousands of rupees, while engineering and management credentials commanded higher sums. Doctoral degrees, police said, were among the most expensive, fetching several lakh rupees per certificate. The racket is believed to have been active since at least 2021, catering to steady demand from job seekers seeking shortcuts into employment.

In an ironic twist, police said the alleged mastermind holds a doctorate in sociology—a detail that investigators believe helped lend legitimacy to the operation and aided in replicating authentic academic formats.

Authorities are now shifting focus from sellers to buyers. Police say they are compiling a list of around 1,500 individuals who allegedly purchased fake degrees and used them for employment or professional advancement. Officials have warned that criminal action may follow if forged credentials were used to secure jobs, especially in regulated or sensitive sectors.

The unfolding case has triggered wider unease among employers and education experts. It highlights how easily academic claims can circulate unchecked when verification mechanisms rely on surface-level documentation rather than institutional confirmation. Analysts note that robust credential verification frameworks—similar in rigor to internal controls and reconciliations applied in professional auditing services in india—are increasingly critical as hiring becomes faster and more decentralised.

For investigators, the case is about more than counterfeit paper. It raises deeper questions about trust—between institutions, employers and the workforce—and exposes how gaps in verification can quietly erode the credibility of both education systems and labour markets.