Kottayam: A man running a cyber café in front of the Mahatma Gandhi University has been accused of cheating hundreds of students by collecting money on the promise of quick delivery of degree certificates. The students who happened to ‘raid’ his house found several applications for degree certificates and copies of certificates.
The Gandhi Nagar police have launched a probe against Vijayan, who owns the Softline Computers Internet Club. The students have handed over to the police documents they had seized from his house.
The students say Vijayan used to target his victims from those who visit his cyber café to submit online applications for degree certificates. He used to convince them that they need not pay the university for the certificates, and that he could obtain them much faster. While the university normally takes four months to deliver a certificate, he promised it within a month for a small commission on top of the certificate fee.
The man was caught by a number of students who had completed B.Tech from a private college in Ernakulam. After visiting the university on February 2 to submit applications for the degree certificate, they approached Vijayan, who promised a quick delivery for Rs 1,500 while the university charges Rs 1,200 and takes up to four months. He convinced them that his contact, an officer at the university, issues 10 certificates a day.
The students waited for a month, but the certificates were not available. When they called Vijayan, he was evasive. Realising that they have been taken for a ride, the students visited his cyber café, but could find only an employee there. They, however, found out Vijayan’s house. He arrived there, reportedly intoxicated, after a while.
Vijayan initially resisted when they demanded the money back, along with the documents they had handed over to him. But as they pressed on, he took them to the first floor and handed over to them a file. On checking the file, they found hundreds of application forms and other documents.
The varsity’s own Vijayan
People in the know say Vijayan was the one who could get anything done in the university. He would obtain certificates that have been pending for years. Revaluation results can be known swiftly. All these services involved a payment though. On May 4, 2016, the university lodged a complaint with the police after he reportedly claimed he could fix exam results. It is well known that he indeed had established some contacts inside the university to manage things.
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