Former Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader Nikhil Thomas has reportedly confessed to submitting a forged degree certificate to secure an MCom admission at the MSM College in Kerala’s Kayamkulam. He was taken into custody on Saturday, June 24. As per reports, Nikhil told the Kayamkulam police during the interrogation that a former SFI leader from Kayamkulam, Abin Raj, had arranged the fake certificate to help Nikhil secure admission for the MCom course.
Nikhil was accused by another SFI member of securing admission for a Masters course in MSM College, Kayamkulam, with a fabricated undergraduate degree certificate. The complainant stated that Nikhil finished BCom at MSM College under the University of Kerala between 2018 and 2020, but failed to clear the exams. However, he managed to enrol for MCom at the same college using a fake degree certificate from Kalinga University in Chhattisgarh.
As per reports, Abin Raj had charged Rs 2 lakh to provide the fake degree certificate. Nikhil, in his statement to the police, said he had transferred this amount to Abin’s bank account.
Following this revelation, the Kayamkulam police said that Abin Raj will also be made an accused in the case. According to Onmanorama, Abin Raj is currently working as a teacher in the Maldives. Kayamkulam DySP G Ajaynath said that Abin will be brought back from the Maldives as part of the investigation.
While the SFI initially came in support of Nikhil, it later backtracked and expelled him from the organisation after Kalinga University stated that no student by the name of Nikhil Thomas had studied there during the said period. The MSM College suspended Nikhil earlier this week, and the Kerala University cancelled his MCom course.