Monad University fake degree case: where the STF and ED investigations stand
More than a year after the UP STF raided Monad University in Hapur, the police case has reached the chargesheet stage and the Enforcement Directorate is tracing the money. Here is what official records and published reports show.
Monad University in Pilkhuwa, Hapur district, is a private university and the subject of one of the largest fake degree investigations in north India. This update brings together what the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and published reports have said so far.
The STF raid and chargesheet
According to an ED press release dated 7 November 2025, the STF raided the university on 18 May 2025. It recovered forged mark sheets, degrees, provisional certificates and migration certificates bearing the university's name. FIR No. 290 was registered at Pilkhuwa police station the same day, and ten people were arrested.
Reports at the time, including in The Statesman, said those arrested included the university's chairman, Vijendra Singh Hooda, and its pro-chancellor, along with staff from the verification, admissions and accounts sections. The Statesman reported that the STF seized 1,372 fake degrees and 262 fake provisional and migration certificates. It said buyers allegedly paid between Rs 50,000 and Rs 5 lakh for courses including LLB, B Pharma, D Pharma and B Tech.
The ED says the STF filed a chargesheet on 11 August 2025 before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Hapur against 11 accused. The ED describes Hooda as the alleged mastermind. All the accused are presumed innocent until a court rules.
The money-laundering probe
On 6 November 2025 the ED searched 15 locations in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It seized Rs 43 lakh in cash, documents and electronic devices. Medical Dialogues reported that the searches also covered Saraswati Medical College in Unnao, of which Hooda is secretary according to the ED.
In July 2026, a news agency report carried by The Hawk said the ED's Lucknow office had provisionally attached property worth Rs 25.44 crore, including a farmhouse, flats and vehicles. The same report said more than 1,800 students who received forged documents had been identified, and that the ED put the alleged proceeds of crime at about Rs 37.66 crore. EFC has not yet seen an ED press release confirming these figures.
What it means for degree holders
Anyone who holds a Monad University document, and any employer who has accepted one, should ask the university's examination section for written verification. Where there is doubt, they should also check with the authorities handling the case. A degree from a genuinely recognised university is not invalidated by the case, but documents produced outside the university's examination system are.
- Enforcement Directorate press release, 7 Nov 2025
- The Statesman
- Medical Dialogues
- The Hawk (news agency report)
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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