The controversy surrounding the alleged fake certificate obtained by former Students Federation of India (SFI) leader K Vidya has taken a new turn with another accusation emerging against SFI's Alappuzha district committee member, Nikhil Thomas. It is alleged that Nikhil also secured admission for M.Com by submitting a fake certificate. As a result of a complaint filed by another SFI member, Nikhil has been removed from his post.
According to reports, Nikhil had pursued B.Com at MSM College in Kayamkulam between 2018 and 2020 but failed to clear the exams. However, he managed to enroll for M.Com at the same college using degree certificates from Kalinga University, as pointed out by the complainant. The overlapping timeline between the two degrees raises suspicion. Nikhil, however, has denied the allegations.
In response to the allegations, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)), which is the parent organization of SFI, intervened and demanded an explanation from Nikhil. A meeting was held between Nikhil and CPI (M) representatives on Friday, June 16, after which he was subsequently removed from SFI as per the directives of the CPI (M). Nikhil is currently a second-year student at MSM College.
Meanwhile, investigations into the allegations against K Vidya are still ongoing. Vidya is accused of submitting a fake experience certificate during a job interview for the position of guest lecturer at the Malayalam Department of RGM Government College in Attappady, Palakkad district. The matter came to public attention on June 7 when authorities at RGM College became suspicious about the authenticity of the certificate and alerted the principal of Maharaja's College, where Vidya was a student. Acting on a complaint filed by the principal of Maharaja's College, VS Joy, the Ernakulam Central Police Station has charged Vidya with non-bailable offenses.