Pune Police have revealed the existence of a scheme involving the issuance of more than 1,000 counterfeit Kurash tournament certificates. These certificates were reportedly used by individuals applying for government jobs through the sports quota. On Tuesday, authorities arrested two officials from the Maharashtra Kurash Association, identified as the president and secretary of the organisation.

These individuals are believed to have created false records relating to state-level competitions that allegedly never occurred. The inquiry originated following a complaint indicating that fraudulent certificates were being distributed in Kurash and other sports to facilitate job applications under the sports quota.

Upon receiving this information, police initiated a verification process. The investigation involved analysing documents obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application, which revealed multiple inconsistencies.

Nature of the Fraudulent Certificates

Kurash is defined as a form of upright jacket wrestling that traces its origins to Central Asia. It has gained international recognition and has been practiced in Maharashtra since 2012 under the governing body of the Kurash Association of Maharashtra. According to police, the investigation uncovered competitions alleged to have occurred between 2016 and 2019 that were conducted by organisations not affiliated with the Indian Kurash Association.

Police have asserted that the signatures on the certificates in question were likely scanned and pasted onto these documents. Investigators discovered that the two accused had obtained fake participation letters from lower-level associations, dating back nine to ten years, to establish records that suggested competitions had taken place between 2016 and 2022.

Many anomalies were highlighted during the probe, such as certificates purporting to have been issued in the years 2016-17 that listed Dharashiv instead of Osmanabad. This discrepancy is significant, as the district was renamed only in 2023. Similarly, there were certificates from the former Aurangabad district that cited Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Furthermore, police identified certificates in the women’s category that contained male names, while several lacked serial numbers entirely.

Next Steps in the Investigation

Authorities have indicated that the alleged racket may have been operational since 2016, potentially impacting the distribution of over 1,000 fraudulent certificates. Currently, the arrested suspects are undergoing questioning, with law enforcement working to gather additional evidence to ascertain the broader implications of this fraudulent scheme.

Furthermore, police are also investigating whether individuals from the police department have acquired duplicate or fake certificates themselves. The findings to date suggest that the fraudulent activity may be part of a more extensive deception involving applications for the sports quota that centre around falsified records of Kurash competitions.

The case reflects significant challenges in ensuring the integrity of sporting certifications in India, especially amid the demand for jobs in government sectors under sports-related quotas. Authorities remain committed to thoroughly investigating this matter to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

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