Delhi Police bust fake disability certificate racket in Delhi University admissions; nine arrested
Police say an inter-state syndicate produced counterfeit Persons with Disabilities certificates to secure reserved-category seats. Twenty-seven forged certificates were recovered.
The Special Staff of Delhi Police's North District has arrested nine people in connection with what officers describe as an inter-state syndicate that arranged fraudulent admissions to Delhi University using fake Persons with Disabilities (PwD) certificates.
Police recovered 27 counterfeit disability certificates during the operation. The names of the accused have not been released, and the investigation is continuing.
How reserved seats were targeted
Universities in India reserve a share of seats for candidates with benchmark disabilities. A disability certificate issued by a notified medical authority, and increasingly a Unique Disability ID (UDID) card, is the basis for claiming these seats. Police allege the syndicate exploited this route by supplying forged certificates to candidates who were not eligible.
A separate case in school admissions
In a separate matter, a Delhi police station received a complaint on September 17 asking it to verify disability certificates and recommendation letters submitted for nursery admissions under the Children With Special Needs category for the 2026-27 session. A preliminary inquiry found the certificates, which showed 41 per cent hearing impairment and were presented as issued by a government hospital, to be forged. An FIR was registered on September 24 under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita covering cheating and forgery. Reports do not say whether the two cases are linked.
Why it matters
Fake disability certificates take seats away from genuinely eligible students and undermine a system meant to widen access to education. The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities says the UDID database was created to bring transparency to how such certificates are issued. Institutions can reduce this risk by checking every claimed certificate against the UDID portal and the issuing medical authority before confirming admission.
This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.
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