Police raided the main office of Golkonda Vidya Parishad, which was attracting desperate unemployed youth under the promise of "100% pass guarantee" in one sitting.
The North Zone team of the Commissioner's Task Force on Wednesday busted the activities of a fictitious university, and seized huge quantity of fake educational certificates.
On a tip-off, the police raided the main office of Golkonda Vidya Parishad, in APHB Colony at Mozamjahi Market, and apprehended a self-styled counselor who was attracting desperate unemployed youth.
He would promise them "100% pass guarantee" in any stream including Diploma, UG, PG, through direct and distance education, in one sitting.
The accused, Peddisetty Naresh, is a native of Chirala of Prakashm district.
According to the police, Naresh did his graduation though correspondence, and then handled a computer sales and peripherals business in Chirala.
He incurred losses in his business, and about 8 months ago, came to Hyderabad in search of a livelihood.
He joined a person called Syed Afsaruddin, the "director" of the fake university, as an assistant. He then designated himself as "counselor" for the institution.
However, the main accused, Syed Afsaruddin, is absconding. Police say that he operated 36 educational institutions in the names of "Golkonda Vidya Parishad", "Golconda National University" and "National Institute Of Secondary Education", whose websites were www.golkondavidyaparishad.com, www.gnuedu.co.in and www.niose.co.in, respectively.
His wife Haseena Fathima was named as the chairman of the institutions, which were being run under "Super Education Trust".
Afsaruddin would advertise the university in newspapers, offering nearly 230 different courses, and charging Rs. 2000 to Rs. 11,000 for a course per year.
Special teams have been formed to arrest both the accused Syed Afsaruddin and his wife Haseena Fathima, both residents of Tolichowki.
Police have also seized 60 fake educational certificates, 2 landline phones, one cell phone and other incriminating material and documents from Shetty's possession.
The arrested accused and seized material were handed over to the Begum Bazar Police Station for further action.
Police have advised youth to be careful about fake universities, whose certificates have no value at all. According to the UGC Act, only universities that have been established under an Act of Parliament or State Legislature or granted a Deemed University status under Sec 3 of the UGC Act are entitled to call themselves as universities and to confer degrees. (INN)