The Kayamkulam police on Saturday arrested former Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader Nikhil Thomas who is accused of forging his degree certificate. Nikhil, who was absconding for the past five days, was taken into custody by the police from a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus at Kottayam while he was on his way to Kottarakara from Kozhikode in the early hours of the day. He was produced before a local court and remanded in police custody till June 30.
Officials said the accused had confessed that he gained MCom admission at Milad E-Sherif Memorial (MSM) College, Kayamkulam by furnishing a fake BCom certificate.
Agency in Kochi
Nikhil told the investigators that he arranged the certificate from an agency in Kochi with the help of a former SFI leader Abin C. Raj. He reportedly transferred ₹2 lakh to Abin’s bank account in 2020. Abin is currently working in the Maldives.
Kayamkulam Deputy Superintendent of Police G. Ajay Nath said that Abin was a co-accused in the case. He said that steps had been initiated to bring him back.
Also read: Kerala University cancels MCom registration of Nikhil Thomas
Nikhil was recently booked by the police for cheating and forgery. He studied BCom at MSM College during 2017-20. However, he did not clear the exam. Later, he joined the MCom course (2021-23 batch) at the same college in January 2022 with a 2017-20 BCom certificate purportedly issued by Kalinga University, Raipur.
Following the controversy, MSM College suspended Nikhil pending inquiry on June 19. Two days later, Kerala University cancelled his MCom registration and the eligibility certificate issued to him.
Recommendation
The controversy has put both the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI (M)] and the SFI in a tight spot after the allegation that Nikhil was admitted to the college based on the recommendation of a CPI(M) leader. The SFI, which initially came out in support of Nikhil, soon distanced itself from the controversy after officials of Kalinga University asserted that Nikhil had not studied there.
He was arrested at a time when the Opposition United Democratic Front was planning to intensify protests demanding his arrest. Nikhil was SFI Kayamkulam area secretary and CPI(M) Kayamkulam Market branch member. He was expelled from both organisations following the allegations.
