Two junior colleges operating in Vimannagar and Hadapsar have allegedly forged government resolutions and documents granting fake approvals to function for nearly five years. The education department conducted an inquiry and then filed complaints with the Samarth police against the management and principals of both institutions. The colleges are operated by an educational trust based in Pathardi taluka in Ahilyanagar district.
Police Case Registered
Police registered a case against the trust’s president, its secretary, and two principals of the colleges under Sections 318 (cheating), 336 (forgery), 340 (fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document or electronic record) and 3 (5) (common intention) of BNS.
Forged Documents Details
Education department officers said their inspection showed that the trust had forged government orders and fabricated approval letters purportedly authorising the operation of the colleges. The management allegedly misused references from genuine government approvals issued to other educational institutions to create counterfeit recognition documents for its colleges. They added that in the Hadapsar college’s case, references from approval documents granted to the trust’s junior college in Jalgaon district were allegedly used to prepare forged recognition papers. Similarly, for the Vimannagar college, references from approval documents issued to a college at Kharabwadi in Khed taluka, were allegedly used to create fake approval letters.
Discovery of Scam
The matter came to light earlier this year when Pune zilla parishad (ZP) officials checked the registration number of the two colleges after the Std XI and XII admission procedure for 2025-26. ZP education sub-inspector Padma Dhende of Hadapsar lodged a complaint on Wednesday with the Samarth police saying that the trust sought permission to run a junior college in Jalgaon, which was granted by the state government, but used this approval to start an English medium junior college at Kharabwadi near Chakan.
Senior Inspector's Statement
Senior inspector Jayant Rajurkar from Samarth police station said, “In 2019-20, the trust obtained permission to run a junior college in Jalgaon and the state government issued it an ID number. However, the trust started two more colleges in Hadapsar and Vimannagar using the same ID number, which constitutes forgery. The college not only cheated the government, but also the students and their parents.”
Deception of Government and Students
The education department said the institution and its principals deceived both government and students by operating the colleges without valid authorisation. District secondary education officer Bhausaheb Karekar issued orders for stern action against such colleges functioning on fake permissions.
Senior Education Officer's Comment
A senior education department officer said, “During verification of documents submitted by these two colleges, it was found that the institutions were relying on forged government resolutions and approval letters. Based on these findings, a police complaint has been filed. A decision regarding the admissions and academic future of students enrolled in these colleges will soon be taken.”
Wider Investigation Demanded
Education department sources pointed out that fabrication of government resolutions is not possible without access to official formats and records, prompting demands for a wider investigation into whether any officials were involved in creating or facilitating the fake documents. The development comes close on the heels of the fake Shalarth ID scam, adding to concerns over regulatory oversight in the education sector and exposing serious loopholes in the verification of institutional approvals. Authorities are now expected to examine whether the forged documents originated solely from the institution or whether the trail leads to officials at higher administrative levels.
