and he would not go to Sikkim with the Sikkim Police unless they furnish a magisterial order. However the Sikkim Police officials forced him to board the car and left for Sikkim in the afternoon. Rai has good contacts all across the society including political leaders and police officers. Mr. A.K. Singh the District Collector of East Sikkim said, “The EIILM University Vice Chancellor, Registrar and the Controller of Examinations who were arrested were small fish.” The mastermind is believed to be Rai, the Chairman of Rai Foundation that runs EIILM, Sikkim. Rai who was once ranked in the Fortune 500 people group has extended his business empire. Reliable sources in Sikkim said many of his business and his business dealings have already come under the scanner and the issuing of fake certificates on behalf of EIILE, Sikkim is one of these businesses.

On the same day of his arrest, three high ranking officials of the University were released on bail by the District Court, East. The Sikkim police had arrested Vice-Chancellor O.B. Vijayan, Registrar Dr. Alok Bhandari and Controller of Examinations V. Dahiya on charges of issuing fake degrees to students on payment of money. The trio was held from EIILM’s Jorethang office, South Sikkim by a police team following a raid and brought to Sadar Police station, Gangtok on the 6th of May evening and produced in the District Court, East on the afternoon of the 7th of May. The court granted bail on the ground of insufficient investigation conducted by the Police. Amidst complaints against EIILM for issuing fake degrees, the Sikkim Police found out that a certificate issued to one Manjit Kaur of Karnal, Haryana in 2011 was fake. The Additional District Collector, South had filed a police complaint regarding the case at Gangtok, but the arrests couldn’t be made due to lack of evidence.

Rai who was once ranked in the Fortune 500 people group has extended his business empire. Many of his business and his business dealings have already come under the scanner and the issuing of fake certificates on behalf of EIILE

However, on 6th May, the trio was arrested on the basis of evidence possessed by the police. The certificate in question issued in 2011 was under the police scanner and a RTI reply further confirmed the doubt. They were booked under IPC Sections 467,468,471,120 B and 181.  EIILM University, Sikkim has around 336 centres all over the country including West Bengal, Assam and other Northeastern States. The State Legislative Assembly of Sikkim had accorded it as a private State university in 2006 with the Sikkim Governor as the Chancellor.

Anoop Rai