Birganj chief district officer Nagendra Jha. Picture by Jai Prakash

Motihari, April 11: Akhtiar Durupayog Anusandhan Ayog (a commission probing misuse of rights in Nepal) has started a probe into fake degrees procured from several universities in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

According to sources at Raxaul, a six-member team headed by deputy secretary Janki Vallabh Adhikari has already reached India last week to probe suspected cases of fake certificates allegedly issued from Muzaffarpur, Patna, Allahabad and Varanasi. Several certificates of matriculation and Intermediate allegedly issued by Bihar Secondary School Examination Board and the Bihar State Intermediate Council are also within the purview of investigation, added sources.

Sources said a large number of such cases, which had been filed in the courts in Nepal were found to be true. Several others have resigned last month fearing prosecution. The names of several employees and officials posted in different ministries have cropped up who had managed to secure jobs allegedly on the basis of fake degrees and certificates.The chief district officer (CDO) of Birganj (Nepal), Nagendra Jha, has confirmed the probe initiated in the matter. He told The Telegraph over the phone from Kathmandu that details of the probe would be known only after the team comes back and submits its report to the government.

The CDO added the exact number of persons working in the departments could be calculated after submission of the report. Meanwhile, the vice-chancellor of Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University (Brabu), Muzaffarpur, Rajendra Mishra, expressed his ignorance in the matter.

He told The Telegraph: “I will certainly extend my co-operation to the probe committee in investigating cases of fake certificates issued from Brabu.” On the other hand, retired Brabu professor and former principal of Lakshmi Narayan Dubey College, Motihari, Ram Pravesh Sharma said such a practice has existed for the past several decades with the active involvement of a racket. He added: “I did not allow admission of any Nepalese citizen in my college as long I was the principal because of the same reason.”

Sources in Birganj said a racket has been thriving in the twin bordering cities of Raxaul and Birganj, which used to sell certificates to people at exorbitant prices in the neighbouring country.

Meanwhile, the sub-divisional police officer of Raxaul, Rajiv Ranjan, said he has no information about the matter but he has assured to unearth the racket if members of the racket were operating in areas under his jurisdiction.