Fake Kurash Certificate Case: Pune Police Crime Branch Arrests Kolhapur Couple

Pune: The Pune Police Crime Branch has arrested a couple from Kolhapur in connection with the alleged use of fake Kurash sports certificates to secure jobs in the Pune City Police constable recruitment process.

The arrested accused have been identified as Shruti Pungavkar, 45, and her husband, Dhairyashil Pungavkar, 51, both residents of Kolhapur. According to police, the couple are relatives of accused Shivaji Salunkhe, secretary of the Maharashtra State Kurash Association, who has already been arrested in the case.

The investigation has so far led to the arrest of four people, including Association president Ankush Nagar and secretary Shivaji Salunkhe. Additional Police Commissioner (Crime) Tejaswi Satpute said the investigation into other persons allegedly linked to the case is underway.

According to the Crime Branch, the Pungavkar couple runs a sports academy in Kolhapur, where several documents related to the alleged fake Kurash certificates were reportedly prepared.

Police said that after Salunkhe's arrest, he allegedly attempted to conceal documents and destroy evidence. During the interrogation of Salunkhe and Nagar, investigators reportedly found links to the Pungavkar couple, leading to their arrest.

The Kurash Association office-bearers are believed to have distributed more than 1,000 certificates across Maharashtra over the past 11 years. Police are now verifying how many candidates may have used these certificates to secure government jobs in various departments.

The investigation has therefore expanded beyond the 19 candidates identified in the Pune Police recruitment process. Police are probing whether the alleged certificate racket was also used in other government recruitment drives across Maharashtra.