MSM College fake certificate: Absconding accused Nikhil Thomas held in Kottayam; Read details

In the early hours of Saturday (June 24), the Special Investigation Team from Kottayam apprehended Nikhil Thomas, the former SFI local secretary and accused in the Milad-E-Sherif Memorial (MSM) College case involving a forged degree certificate.   

Kottayam: The former SFI area secretary and accused in the fake degree certificate case at Milad-E-Sherif Memorial (MSM) College, Nikhil Thomas was detained by the Special Investigation Team from Kottayam in the wee hours of Saturday (June 24). He was taken into custody from the KSRTC bus depot. The accused was on the run for the past five days after police charged him with the forgery case. 

The person was taken into custody by 12:30 am. Police quizzed him at Kayamkulam police station. It is learned that the quizzing will be completed by 1 pm and police will produce him before the court by evening, seeking his custody.

Meanwhile, Asianet News obtained crucial statements from Nikhil given to the police. The accused told the police that he received assistance from Abin C Raj, a former SFI area president of Kayamkulam, to create a fake certificate. According to him, Abin is now in the Maldives. The Kochi-based international workforce recruitment organisation created the fake degree certificate. According to him, Abin C. Raj referred him to the agency and paid Rs 2 lakh for the degree certificate.

Nikhil Thomas was taken into custody at 12.30 am. He was questioned by police at Kayamkulam police station. According to the reports, the questioning will be over by 1 pm, and by the evening, the police will be presenting him before the court to ask for his custody. Based on the mobile network activity, he was apprehended. He had reportedly been hiding out in Kozhikode to elude the police, according to sources. 

Nikhil Thomas was dismissed by CPM on Thursday. Earlier, SFI, the student organisation at CPM, had also expelled him. SFI made a point of denouncing Thomas' pursuit and explaining why it had earlier supported him. 

According to allegations, Nikhil applied for admission to the MCom programme at MSM College, Kayamkulam, using a fake degree certificate from Kalinga University. The registrar of Kerala University formally reported the incident to the police and asked for a thorough investigation. The cops then filed a case against him.