In a significant breakthrough, the police have successfully retrieved a counterfeit degree certificate from the residence of Nikhil Thomas, a former leader of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). The forged certificate, which Nikhil had submitted at MSM College in Kayamkulam to secure admission for his M.Com program, belonged to the Raipur-based Kalinga University.
During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered the fake B.Com certificate hidden in an almirah within Nikhil’s room, located near the bustling Kayamkulam market. Additionally, they recovered three years’ worth of mark lists and a migration certificate, all of which were determined to be fraudulent. The police authorities, led by Inspector Y Muhammed Shafi of Kayamkulam, conducted the evidence gathering procedure at Nikhil’s residence on Sunday, starting at 11:30 am and concluding at 2 pm.
It was revealed that Nikhil had obtained these fabricated documents from the college about a month ago, soon after he learned of the attempts made by certain leaders of the Kerala Students Union and his rivals within the SFI to expose his fraudulent activities. A source disclosed that a functionary of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) had even filed a Right to Information request with the college on March 30 to obtain the documents submitted by Nikhil. However, the college authorities declined to share the personal information.
While the police diligently examined the bank account details of Nikhil, they uncovered a crucial piece of information. It was revealed that back in 2020, Nikhil had transferred Rs 2 lakh to Abin C Raj, a former SFI district secretariat member, as payment for procuring the forged certificates. The investigators traced the evidence of this transaction to the bank account of Abin’s mother.
However, despite their thorough search, the police were unable to locate Nikhil’s mobile phone during the checks conducted at his residence. The phone had been switched off since 7 pm on June 19. During the subsequent interrogation, Nikhil claimed that he had disposed of his mobile phone by throwing it into the Karipuzha canal from the bridge at Kayamkulam Park Junction before going into hiding. However, after carefully reviewing the CCTV footage obtained from the area, the police determined that Nikhil’s statement was false.
The missing mobile phone is considered a crucial piece of evidence in the case. Investigators suspect that it may contain vital information related not only to the fraudulent activities but also to a dispute between two factions of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM). It is believed that this conflict could be one of the reasons Nikhil is attempting to mislead the authorities. The investigation is ongoing as the police continue their efforts to uncover the truth behind the forged degree certificate and gather further evidence related to the case.
Post Your Comments