Fake certificate case: BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab demands impartial probe, stringent action

Amid allegations of involvement of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the fake educational certificate racket, the party's Lok Sabha MP Bhartruhari Mahtab on Thursday demanded an impartial probe into the case that has heated up the political corridor in the State.

Speaking to the media, the Parliamentarian from Cuttack said, "Fake certificate rackets used to operate in UP and Bihar earlier. Now the racket in Odisha has shocked me."

“It is really surprising that several people have got jobs by furnishing fake educational certificates. The accused must be nabbed soon and given stringent punishment. Most importantly, the fake certificate is depriving the eligible candidates of getting jobs,” Mahtab added.

Echoing the same opinion, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the Postal department has urged the CBI to initiate a thorough investigation into the scam.

“This is really concerning. It is learnt that the Postal department has urged the CBI to initiate a thorough investigation into the scam. The Odisha police is also investigating the matter. The roots of the racket are deep,” Pradhan said.

Notably, the fake education certificate racket having pan-India links was busted in Bolangir and around 1,000 to 5,000 fake certificates were seized from a coaching centre named Reliance Education Institute. 

All the certificates looked almost similar to the original ones with properly printed holograms and logos. So far, 19 persons including the owner of the educational institution have been arrested in connection with the case.