BENGALURU: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has dismantled a fraudulent marks card operation, arresting three individuals from Bengaluru, Dharwad, and Belagavi.

The accused, who operated a distance education academy, issued fake SSLC and PUC marks cards for ₹20,000 each. Some beneficiaries reportedly used these forged documents to secure government jobs in the transport and child welfare departments, while others applied for passports. Authorities recovered over 350 digital copies of fake marks cards from the suspects’ mobile devices.

Investigators are now tracking those who fraudulently obtained employment. Shockingly, departments seeking verification unknowingly sent the documents to the very institution that fabricated them.

The arrested suspects—KJ Monish (36) from Bengaluru, S Prashanth Gundumi (41) from Dharwad, and Rajashekar H Ballari (41) from Gadag—ran the scam under the name Karnataka State Council of Intermediate and Higher Education. They printed fake certificates at offices in Banashankari and Dharwad.

The racket was exposed after a realtor from Palace Guttahalli filed a complaint last December. His nephew, seeking distance education, was assured a marks card without exams. Suspicious, the complainant involved CCB officials, leading to Monish’s arrest and the subsequent capture of the other two.

Authorities urge anyone aware of similar forgeries to report them immediately.