Pune: PMC Deputy Commissioner Accused Of Using Fake MBA Degree
Pune: PMC Launches Ambitious "Deep Clean" Drive, Clears 40 Tonnes Of Garbage
A case has been registered against Pune Municipal Corporation Deputy Commissioner Somnath Haribhau Bankar, along with three others, for allegedly obtaining a fake MBA degree from Sikkim Manipal University. Bankar, who currently serves as Deputy Commissioner of the Encroachment Department, is accused of registering the fake degree in the Municipal Corporation’s service book. Social activist Sudhir Ramchandra Alhat filed a complaint at the Shivajinagar police station, alleging that former education officer Sudhakar Tambe and clerk Rajendra Ghare aided Bankar in the deception.
According to the complaint, Bankar obtained the fake degree in 2008-2009 while serving as the officer in charge of the Babasaheb Ambedkar hostel. The degree was signed by Tambe, who was the education officer at the time. Alhat’s investigation, conducted under the Right to Information Act, revealed that Sikkim Manipal University had no record of Bankar graduating in 2016. Despite this evidence, the municipal administration failed to take action, prompting Alhat to demand a thorough investigation into the matter. .
The Crime Branch’s investigation confirmed that Bankar’s degree was indeed fake, leading to a letter being sent to the municipal corporation to lodge a complaint. The Anti-Corruption Department also submitted a confidential report to the Municipal Commissioner on April 21, 2018. The incident has raised suspicions that other Municipal Corporation officers may have obtained fake degrees, with a list of suspected officials being handed over to the police. Alhat is now calling for a probe into the fake degree racket and the officials who supported Bankar’s deception.
This development comes on the heels of a similar incident in June 2023, where three junior engineers employed by the Pune Municipal Corporation were terminated for submitting fake documents. The recurrence of such incidents raises concerns about the integrity of the corporation’s hiring and promotion processes.
As the investigation unfolds, the Pune Municipal Corporation faces mounting pressure to address the issue of fake degrees and ensure accountability among its officials. The public awaits the outcome of the probe, hoping that it will bring transparency and integrity to the corporation’s ranks. With Alhat’s persistence and the authorities’ attention, the truth behind Bankar’s fake degree and the potential racket is set to be exposed.
