- Friday, June 06, 2025
The police in Hyderabad have also arrested the agent who supplied fake degree certificates to 15 students and sent them abroad
By: India Weekly
AN INDIAN student from Telangana was arrested in Hyderabad after being deported from the United States for using fake educational certificates to obtain a student visa.
The student, identified Pakiru Gopal Reddy from Nalgonda (28), had traveled to the US in 2023, using counterfeit a BSc computer science certificate, according to media reports.
He was pursuing a master’s degree at Webster University, Missouri and stayed there for 15 months.
Reddy was deported in the last week of May after his student exchange visitor information system (SEVIS) status was inactive.
Upon his arrival in Hyderabad, he was questioned by immigration officials. He admitted that an agent had arranged the forged certificates.
Reddy was then handed over to the police on June 1, and the agent, Katoju Ashok of Sri Dhanalakshmi Overseas Private Limited in Vanasthalipuram, was arrested.
Ashok had allegedly supplied fake degree certificates to 15 students and sent them abroad for a fee of around ₹100,000 ($1,165.31).
During a search operation, the police seized 150 forged mark sheets, provisional certificates, and recommendation letters bearing the names of Madurai Kamaraj University and Osmania University.
Efforts are on to to trace other students who may have used similar fake documents.
