Kottayam: The Special Investigation Team in charge of the probe into the fake degree certificate in Alappuzha MSM College nabbed the accused Nikhil Thomas from Kottayam in the wee hours of Saturday. The former SFI area secretary was taken into custody from the KSRTC bus depot here.
Nikhil was absconding from the police for the past five days after police booked him in the forgery case.
He has been taken to Kayamkulam police station. The probe team had intensified the search for Nikhil after observing the movements of his friend. On Friday, the police nabbed his friend who is a former SFI leader from Varkala.
The probe team landed in a tight spot after UDF declared statewide protests over the delay in nabbing the accused. Police identified his hideout after interrogating a CPM area committee member and an SFI leader in Cherthala.
It is alleged that Nikhil submitted a fake degree certificate from Kalinga University to obtain admission to MCom programme at MSM College, Kayamkulam. The Kerala University registrar officially filed a complaint with the police seeking a comprehensive probe into the issue. Following this, police booked Nikhil.
