Over 1,500 Fake Kurash Certificates Under Scanner, 2 Held In Pune: All You Need To Know About The Case

Pune: The racket involving the issuance of fake sports proficiency certificates allegedly used by candidates to secure government employment under the 5% sports quota has come under the scanner of Pune Police, with investigators suspecting that more than 1,500 Kurash certificates may have been issued over the past decade.

Police have so far identified around 60 candidates who allegedly approached various government departments using such certificates, including approximately 19 people suspected of having secured jobs in the police department. Investigators are now examining whether similar certificates were issued in other sports, including Dragon Boat, Wushu and other disciplines.

The police have arrested two office-bearers of the Kurash Association of Maharashtra -- Shivaji Jaywant Salunkhe (46), a resident of Fursungi-Hadapsar and originally from Kolhapur, and Ankush Vitthal Nagar (40), currently residing in Chandigarh and originally from Ahilyanagar. Both were arrested on Thursday.

The case came to light after an aspirant preparing for competitive examinations reportedly noticed that a friend who had never participated in Kurash had secured a government job through the sports quota. The discrepancy allegedly prompted questions over the authenticity of the certificate and eventually led to a complaint and police inquiry.

According to police, the initial complaint alleged that forged certificates were being distributed in different sports and subsequently used by candidates seeking employment and other concessions available under the government’s sports quota.

Competitions allegedly never held

During the investigation, police found discrepancies in certificates claiming that candidates had participated in state-level Kurash competitions. Investigators allegedly discovered that some of the competitions mentioned in the certificates, particularly those purportedly conducted between 2016 and 2019, had never actually taken place.

Police also suspect that documentary pages were deliberately kept blank so that details could subsequently be filled in and certificates prepared with backdated information.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Gauhar Hasan, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said investigators had obtained documents under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and found several discrepancies while verifying the certificates.

One such discrepancy involved the names of districts mentioned on the certificates. Documents purportedly issued in 2016-17 were found carrying the name Dharashiv, although the district was then known as Osmanabad and was renamed Dharashiv only in 2023.

Similarly, certificates allegedly issued in 2016 mentioned Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, although the district was then officially known as Aurangabad.

Investigators also found certificates where the gender category allegedly did not correspond with the candidate’s name. Some certificates reportedly did not contain serial numbers, further raising doubts about their authenticity.

Backdated documents allegedly used to create records

An officer associated with the investigation said office-bearers of the Kurash Association of Maharashtra allegedly collected old participation letters from district-level organisations.

“These documents, purportedly dating back nine to 10 years, were allegedly used to prepare records and submit papers to the sports department showing that competitions had taken place and that the concerned candidates had participated in them,” the officer said.

Police are also examining documents allegedly submitted by the association to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in 2022, in which details of past events were reportedly produced.

Suspected involvement of government officials

A senior police official said, “Without the involvement of a person working in the sports department, it is difficult for such certificates to pass through the system. We are investigating the matter thoroughly.”

The possibility of more arrests could not be ruled out.

How 1,500 certificates could have been generated

Investigators are examining the structure of Kurash competitions and the number of certificates that could potentially have been issued every year.

According to information being examined by police, the association’s competition structure provided for nine female players in the junior category and nine in the senior category, while 10 male players were to be selected in each of the junior and senior categories. These selections were reportedly divided into four weight categories.

Based on this structure, police suspect that the number of certificates generated over a period of around 10 years could cross 1,500, although the exact number will be known only after verification of the records.

Certificates allegedly sold for ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh

According to sources, candidates were allegedly charged between ₹3 lakh and ₹5 lakh for a sports certificate, with the amount reportedly varying depending on the candidate’s financial background.

Police are examining bank transactions and other financial records to establish how much money changed hands and identify the persons who allegedly benefited financially from the racket.

Probe expands beyond Kurash

Although the investigation initially focused on Kurash certificates, police are now examining allegations concerning certificates in other sports, including Dragon Boat, Wushu and other disciplines.