Date:31/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/31/stories/2008073159490300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

3 arrested in certificate racket

Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM: The City Task Force Police nabbed three persons in two different cases on Wednesday. Addressing newsmen, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) K.V.V. Gopala Rao said in the first case, A. Appa Rao of Seethammapeta was arrested for issuing certificates, which were normally issued by the MRO and the Municipal Corporation. “On receiving a petition, we conducted a raid and found 25 caste certificates, 25 residence certificates, 19 income certificates and 20 birth and death certificates and affidavits signed by a notary. The accused also had blank caste and birth certificates in his possession”.

The accused claimed that he helped applicants with filling the forms for issue of various certificates. He said he was involved in the task for the last 10 to 12 years. He said that he charged Rs.300 from each applicant and alleged that he had to pay Rs.150 from it to the staff in the MRO and GVMC Office who issued the certificates. Mr. Gopala Rao said the police would verify the possible involvement of the MRO office and GVMC staff and submit a report to the District Collector if the charge was found to be true.

In the second case, the directors of two private educational institutes located at Dondaparty and Asilametta were arrested for allegedly issuing pass certificates and marks lists to students without even conducting examinations. Accused directors D. Ramesh and N. Chandrasekhar were arrested. Task Force SIs Ananda Reddy and Lakshmana Murthy were also present at the press conference.