Pune City Police have initiated action to dismiss 19 candidates suspected of using allegedly forged sports certificates to secure recruitment through Maharashtra’s 5% sports quota, after the Crime Branch arrested four people in connection with the case. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has said all 19 candidates will be dismissed from the force, according to Pune Mirror.
The alleged irregularities surfaced during the Pune City Police recruitment process for 2024–26 after a citizen alerted the police and submitted supporting evidence. The claims relate to certificates in Kurash and dragon boat racing, which candidates allegedly used to establish eligibility for benefits under the sports quota.
The 19 candidates were at different stages of the recruitment process when the allegations emerged. Ten had not yet joined the police force, while nine had been sent to police training centres. Authorities have ordered the nine trainees to return immediately as the investigation proceeds.
Investigators suspect that records were created to show that Kurash competitions had been held between 2016 and 2026, although the events allegedly did not take place. Those records were reportedly used to obtain sports certificates that supported candidates’ recruitment claims. The allegations remain subject to the ongoing investigation.
The Crime Branch has arrested four people in connection with the case. They reportedly include Ankush Nagar, president of the Maharashtra State Kurash Association, and its secretary, Shivaji Salunkhe. Other arrested individuals are associated with sports training centres suspected of helping prepare the allegedly forged certificates.
A case was registered at Shivajinagar Police Station following a complaint by a senior police inspector. The Pune Crime Branch is handling the investigation and is examining how the certificates were prepared, issued and submitted during the recruitment process.
As part of the inquiry, investigators have collected information on 19 organisations linked to the organisation of Kurash competitions at taluka, district and state levels. Officials may question people associated with these organisations to determine whether others helped create, issue or use the allegedly forged documents.
The case has placed the verification of sports credentials under scrutiny, particularly where certificates are used to claim reservation benefits in government recruitment. Police are also investigating whether the suspected irregularities involved a wider network. Further action will depend on the findings of the ongoing Crime Branch investigation.
