Kozhikode: Kasaba police arrested a man who ran an educational institute and allegedly conducted fake exams without the recognition of a University here on Friday. According to police, he tricked 64 students by offering different BVoc (Bachelor of Vocational Degree Courses) courses. Shyamjith Thattarakkal from Elathur, who ran the Global Institute of Paramedical Science in Kallai Road, Kozhikode was arrested by Kasaba police under section 420 IPC for cheating.
"He was running the institute without the University's recognition. He conducted fake exams after collecting university fees from us and kept the exam sheets to himself. Even though he claimed a partnership with a hospital in the city, there was no such contract, " students told Onmanorama. The students filed a complaint against him a week ago.
The institute admitted students for different paramedical BVoc courses recognized by a University based in Uttar Pradesh. Among them, 10 students didn't clear the Plus Two courses, but he conducted an exam claiming that it was equivalent to Plus Two.
The students are demanding compensation of Rs 3 lakhs for losing their two academic years and an amount of 1,20,000 which was paid for the course for the last 3 semesters.
The institute conducted the 1st-semester exam properly. Even though they conducted second and third-semester exams, the students came to know that they had been fooled. Both the semester exams were done with fake question papers. Recently, when the enraged students broke open the cabins of the institute searching for their certificates, they found the answer sheets they had written for the second and third semesters.
"Actually, the institute management didn't pay the registration fee in the University, even though it had collected the money from the students. They were creating their own question papers and running the exams and kept it in their cabins," said a student.
'Whenever we ask about the recognition or hospital facility for practical training purposes, they did not give a proper answer. Earlier they said that they had a partnership with a famous hospital in the city, and took us for a few times there. Later they stopped it saying that there were not enough machines to train the students. Later, when we tried for an internship, we came to know that there was not an agreement," the student said.
"They did not acquire the university recognition, as they did not submit a hospital partnership agreement which is a must for running a paramedical course," said Adv. P. Shoukath Ali, director of the Delhi-based agency IITS which acted as a liaison between the institute and the University.
Ten students among them didn't clear plus two courses. So Shyamjith conducted an exam, claiming that it was under Jamia Urdu Board, which was equivalent to plus-two courses in Kerala. When we enquired, it was confirmed that the institute did not have a recognition with that board also, as they did not pay the fee. So they might have conducted a fake exam for the students," said Shoukatha Ali.
On Tuesday night students and parents gathered at the Kasaba police station and staged a protest there. Then Shyamjith was taken into custody and later in the morning, they registered a case against him. Now the students and police are in search of their transfer and migration certificates.
