A probe into alleged forged Kurash sports certificates used during Pune police recruitment has found that around 1,000 certificates were distributed across Maharashtra, according to the Pune crime branch. Investigators are examining how many people used them to obtain government jobs.
The investigation began after 19 candidates were found to have secured positions in the Pune police force by allegedly submitting fake certificates to claim the sports quota. Ten of those candidates have proceeded to police training, while training for the remaining nine has not yet begun, Loksatta reported.
Additional Commissioner of Police Tejaswi Satpute said the crime branch was conducting a detailed investigation into the case. Deputy Commissioner of Police Gauhar Hasan was also present when the statement was made to reporters.
The case concerns certificates linked to Kurash, a martial arts sport, and the Maharashtra State Kurash Association. Association president Ankush Nagar and Shivaji Salunke were recently arrested by the crime branch. Investigators said the two had issued certificates showing that candidates had participated in competitions.
Government recruitment rules provide a five per cent reservation for sportspersons. The certificates are suspected to have been used to claim this benefit during the Pune police recruitment process. The discovery has prompted investigators to examine both the candidates who submitted the documents and the people who allegedly issued them.
As part of the recruitment process, the candidates’ sports certificates were examined by the state sports department and were approved. The crime branch is now investigating how the allegedly forged certificates received official validation and whether any irregularities occurred during the verification process.
The investigation will also establish whether people who used the certificates were appointed to other government posts across Maharashtra. Police officials have not yet disclosed the total number of government appointments that may be linked to the alleged certificate network.
The Pune police recruitment case remains under investigation. The crime branch is expected to examine the certificate records, the association’s competition and participant documents, the recruitment files and the approval process followed by the sports department.
