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Over 60 secured Maharashtra govt jobs using fake Kurash certificates: Pune crime branch
Investigators have found that 16 to 18 candidates who allegedly used such certificates were recruited in Pune police alone
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More than 60 people have likely secured government jobs across Maharashtra using allegedly fake Kurash sports certificates, Pune crime branch investigators have found, exposing what police suspect was a racket operating for nearly a decade.
Investigators have found that 16 to 18 candidates who allegedly used such certificates were recruited in Pune police alone. The beneficiaries include candidates recruited in several government departments, with the police department accounting for a significant number of cases.
Kurash is an internationally recognised sport and is part of the Asian Games. Under Maharashtra government rules, eligible Kurash players can claim benefits under the five per cent sports quota during government recruitment.
Gauhar Hasan, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said, “As per our initial investigation, it is revealed that over 60 candidates used Kurash sports certificates issued by these accused to get quota benefits in the various departments of the state government across the state. Further details will be shared based on the investigation.”
How case came to light
The racket came to light last week after Pune police received a confidential complaint alleging that certificates were being issued to people showing proficiency in Kurash even though they had not participated in the competitions mentioned in the documents.
The complainant, who was familiar with the sport, used the Right to Information Act (RTI) to collect documents and submit them to the police. He alleged that several people who obtained Kurash certificates had never actually played the sport.
The crime branch arrested two people on September 3 — Shivaji Jaywant Salunkhe, 46, a resident of Fursungi-Hadapsar originally from Kolhapur, and Ankush Vitthal Nagar, 40, currently living in Chandigarh and originally from Ahilyanagar.
Both were remanded in police custody until September 8. Police have also detained a third unknown person and are searching for a fourth accused.
Fake certificates
According to investigators, records were allegedly created for competitions that either never took place or were not properly recognised. Certificates were then issued showing that candidates had participated in and excelled in those events.
Competitions shown as having taken place between 2016 and 2019 were allegedly organised by an association that was not affiliated with the Kurash Association of India, police said.
Asked how many fake certificates may have been issued between 2016 and 2026, Hasan said, “That is part of our investigation, but you may consider there are four to five categories under this sport, and they were doing it for almost a decade without coming on anyone’s radar.”
An officer involved in the investigation requesting anonymity said, “The office bearers of the Kurash Association of Maharashtra allegedly collected old participation letters, purportedly dating back nine to ten years, from district-level organisations. These documents 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.”
Police said these documents were then allegedly used to obtain sports proficiency certificates, allowing candidates to claim sports quota benefits despite not having actually participated in the competitions.
The investigation has also found that several candidates may have paid between ₹3 lakh and ₹5 lakh to obtain certificates and create a record of participation and achievement in Kurash.
Role of district officers under scanner
The crime branch is probing the role of district-level office-bearers who allegedly acted as intermediaries between candidates and senior functionaries of the association.
Investigators have found several glaring discrepancies in the documents.
In some cases, dates mentioned on certificates, participation letters and other records allegedly do not match the dates of the competitions. Police suspect that some records may have been created or altered later.
Another major red flag involves the names of districts mentioned in old documents.
Investigators found references to Dharashiv and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in certificates and correspondence related to events allegedly held before 2023. The districts were officially known as Osmanabad and Aurangabad until they were renamed in 2023.
Police suspect that the use of the new names in documents relating to older events could indicate that some records were prepared retrospectively.
A police officer involved in the probe said, “Since 2010, the original State Kurash Association had been working for the benefit of the sport and sportspersons and was affiliated with the central association. However, it was somehow dissolved, after which one of the accused, who was associated with the original association, started a new association. The accused claimed that the old association had been merged with the new one and that the new association was affiliated with the central association.”
“Police are now checking recruitment records and sports quota claims made by more than 60 candidates. We are also examining whether the candidates knowingly submitted fake certificates or whether some were misled by intermediaries,” said the senior officer.
