Pune, October 29, 2026: The Pune Crime Branch has arrested 14 of 19 newly recruited police constables who allegedly secured their posts under the sports quota using fake Kurash certificates. The arrests were made over the past two days from various police training centres across Maharashtra.
A case was registered at Shivajinagar police station on September 3, 2026, after investigators received information about the large-scale issuance of forged sports certificates. The Maharashtra State Kurash Association, which governs the sport an ancient form of upright jacket wrestling allegedly prepared and issued around 1,200 to 1,500 fake participation and achievement certificates between 2016 and 2023. These documents were used by candidates to claim benefits under Maharashtra’s five per cent sports quota in government recruitment.
Association president Ankush Vitthal Nagar and secretary Shivaji Jaywant Salunkhe were among the first to be arrested in early September. Subsequent investigation revealed that 19 candidates had submitted such certificates during the recent Pune city police recruitment drive. Of these, 14 have now been taken into custody from training facilities. Five others fled before the arrests and remain absconding. Overall, the Crime Branch has arrested approximately 24–25 people in the case so far, including association office-bearers, agents linked to district Kurash associations, and others who allegedly facilitated the certificates.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Gauhar Hasan stated that the arrested constables initially claimed their certificates were genuine. After verification showed the documents were fabricated and that many of the cited competitions had never been held, they were arrested from different training institutes. “We are investigating the role of government officials who validated these certificates as genuine,” Hasan said. He added that letters have been sent to police units across the state and that similar checks will be made with other government departments, as the racket may extend beyond the police force.
Earlier reports indicated that as many as 71 candidates recruited into the police and other state departments since 2023 through Kurash certificates are under scrutiny. Investigators are also examining whether forged national- or international-level certificates were used for Class I and Class II posts through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission. Police have noted discrepancies in the documents, including mismatched dates, use of district names adopted only after 2023 on older certificates, and cases where competitions listed on the certificates did not take place.
The case has raised concerns over the integrity of sports quota recruitment and the potential displacement of genuine athletes. Several of those arrested have been sent to Yerawada Central Jail, while the search for the remaining absconders continues. The investigation remains ongoing.
