Fake degree certificate case: Kerala University asks explanation from college that gave admission to SFI leader, Nikhil Thomas, on basis of fake degree certificate

Kayamkulam: Forged mark lists, fake experience certificates and dubious degree certificates are in the news in Kerala for some time now. Surprisingly, all the accused in these cases are connected to Students’ Federation of India (SFI).

The recent fake certificate case had surfaced from Milad-E-Sherif Memorial (MSM) College in Kayamkulam, where SFI leader, Nikhil Thomas, gained admission to MCom course at the college by submitting a fake degree certificate. The SFI leader had failed in his degree course, which he did at MSM College. However, he got admission to the masters’ course in the same college after submitting a fake degree certificate showing that he had passed degree from a private university, Kalinga University.

However, Kalinga University informed that Nikhil Thomas was not a student at the university.

Now the Kerala University (KU) has asked for an explanation from MSM College for giving admission to Nikhil Thomas on the basis of a fake certificate. Reports said that Vice Chancellor of KU, Mohanan Kunnummal, asked why the MSM College failed to identify the fake certificate.

The Vice Chancellor said that if the college fails to provide an explanation, the university will take actions against MSM College. He criticized the principal of MSM College for not confirming the authenticity of the certificates during admission. The Vice Chancellor put the blame on the college and said that it is responsible for the serious crime, the report said.

Nikhil Thomas has also gone into hiding, just like K Vidya, who is absconding after her fake experience certificate came into light.

Reports say that Nikhil Thomas studied BCom at MSM College during 2018-20 period. However, he failed in the exam. Then in 2021 he got admission for MCom in the same college on the basis of a fake degree certificate from Kalinga University.

The degree certificate issued purportedly by Kalinga University shows that he was a student of that university from 2019 to 2020.

The issue came to light when another SFI activist raised the valid question that how can a student study at two different colleges and two different universities at the same time.

The SFI is said to have expelled Nikhil Thomas after the incident came to light. However, the police have taken into custody a CPI(M) leader who tried to help Nikhil Thomas go into hiding.