Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU), currently probing the alleged fake degree of AAP leader Jitender Singh Tomar, has stumbled on a fake marksheet racket with two students approaching it for certificates on Wednesday.

The university examination department managed to get hold of the two - Rejuanul Hoque of Muslim Minority College, Bhagalpur, and Nurujjaman of Marwari College, Bhagalpur - who came to get confidential letters for obtaining college-leaving certificates.

Rejuanul is a native of Doulatpur village in Bengal's Malda district while Nurujjaman stays in Kumbhira village in the same district. They were students of English honours of 2009-2012 batch of three-year degree course and also appeared in the final exam in 2013.

A.K. Roy, pro-vice chancellor, TMBU, said Nurujjaman came to Marwari College for obtaining college-leaving certificate with his marksheet. But since the tabulation register in the college did not match marks in his marksheet, he was told to bring confidential letter from the examination department. "Due to clerical mistake, such types of errors have taken place in the past. We have started a provision of issuing confidential letter from the varsity to tide over the problems," Roy added.

"When the persons concerned in the examination department examined the register, they also found that the student was failed in the exam. Interrogated, Nurujjaman called up his friend, Rejuanul, who also has same problem. To know how they obtained such marksheets, which appear genuine, the employee concerned put pressure on the duo and they finally admitted that they managed it by giving Rs 8,000 to a person in the varsity. The duo also revealed that one former student in PG Bengali department, Bappi, had helped them obtain such marksheets," Roy said.

Belakshan Ravi Das, proctor, TMBU, registered an FIR against the two students late on Wednesday evening with the University out-post and later the police arrested them.

Roy, also heading the probe team of Tomar episode, said surfacing of the case indicates something fishy inside the university. "We are quite sure that a big racket is thriving here who targets students mostly from neighbouring Bengal and allure them for providing with degrees," he said.

Roy, however, added that besides police, the university would conduct detailed investigation to probe the matter. "Not a single person involved in such affairs would be spared. Firm action would be taken against them," he added.

Ajit Kumar Sonu, president, Chhatra Sangharsh Samiti, a body of students in TMBU, alleged that such incidents are common here and the Tomar episode is an eye-opener to such malpractices, which have been going on for years in the university. On Thursday, Sonu handed over role numbers of 30 students of BSc (2009-2012) from different colleges under the varsity whose tabulation registers show that they failed but the university had provided them the marksheets with pass marks to Samarendra Kumar, station house officer, University out-post.