ED Raids 16 Sites in Major Fake Degree Racket Across UP, Delhi, Haryana

The Enforcement Directorate has launched a sweeping operation across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana to dismantle a large-scale fake degree and certificate racket reportedly linked to Monad University in Hapur. The searches, carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, span 16 locations across multiple states and target individuals and institutions suspected of issuing fraudulent academic credentials and laundering illicit earnings through shell entities.

According to officials, the crackdown stems from an ongoing investigation uncovering a network that allegedly sold forged degrees to students from several states. The fraudulent certificates were marketed as legitimate academic qualifications, enabling buyers to secure jobs, admissions or professional advancement. Investigators believe the racket generated crores of rupees, much of which was laundered through front companies to disguise the source of funds.

The search operation, led by the ED’s Lucknow Zonal Office, covers Monad University’s main campus in Hapur and affiliated premises in Meerut. Saraswati Medical College in Unnao has also been searched, along with multiple locations tied to accused individuals in Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram and Sonipat. These searches aim to gather evidence of financial transactions, digital trails, documentation of admissions, and possible links to dormant or shell firms used to route illicit money.

At the centre of the alleged racket is Vijendra Singh, also known as Vijendra Hooda, who is currently in judicial custody. A politically prominent figure, Hooda contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Bijnor on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket and finished third with over two lakh votes. Investigators allege that he played a crucial role in orchestrating the sale of fake degrees and managing the interlinked networks of agents, middlemen and institutions.

Hooda had earlier been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force, which unearthed the initial layers of the scam. Following multiple arrests and charge sheets filed by state police, the ED’s involvement has broadened the probe to track the suspected laundering of proceeds through companies created solely for the purpose of concealing illegal income.

The investigation is expected to delve deeper into whether the educational institutions involved knowingly facilitated the scam or whether internal collusion enabled the large-scale printing and distribution of fraudulent certificates. Authorities are also assessing whether students, many of whom may not have been aware of the fraud, have used these degrees for employment or migration, which could have broader legal implications.

The ED’s operation signals a renewed push to reinforce academic integrity and tighten oversight of private educational institutions. As the financial trail is untangled in the coming weeks, enforcement agencies aim to identify every entity, intermediary and beneficiary involved in what appears to be one of the largest fake degree networks uncovered in recent years.