Venkateshwara University in Uttar Pradesh has cancelled the Bachelor of Arts-Bachelor of Laws (BA-LLB) degree of a lawyer allegedly associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi criminal syndicate, following the discovery that his Class 12 certificate was fabricated.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the Rajabpur police station has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the lawyer for submitting forged documents and engaging in fraudulent practices. A formal request has also been sent to the Bar Council seeking the cancellation of his professional registration, according to Station House Officer Tej Pal Singh.
The FIR, lodged by Venkateshwara University administrative officer Arun Kumaron on September 28, details that Deepak Nanda, a resident of Paschim Vihar in Delhi, enrolled in the university’s BA-LLB program in 2019. Nanda purportedly submitted a Class 12 marksheet and certificate that appeared to have been issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education. He successfully completed the five-year integrated law course in 2024 and subsequently obtained registration with the Bar Council to commence practice as an advocate, the complaint states.
The case surfaced during a broader investigation by the Delhi Crime Branch into an alleged arms trafficking operation that involved Deepak Khatri, who is also identified as Deepak Nanda. On September 9, the Delhi Crime Branch formally requested the university to provide Nanda’s admission and educational records. These documents were then forwarded for verification.
The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education informed the Crime Branch on September 19 that it had no record of the submitted certificate, declaring it to be a fake document. According to the university’s complaint, it received information about this development four days later. In response, Venkateshwara University promptly cancelled Nanda’s degree and initiated a process to request the cancellation of his registration from the Bar Council of India.
Police have indicated that allegations also exist regarding Nanda’s alleged representation of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his purported provision of legal services to members of Bishnoi’s gang across various districts. These claims are currently under examination as part of the ongoing investigation into Nanda’s activities and associations.
The FIR registered against Nanda includes charges under Sections 318(4) (cheating), 336 (forgery), and 340(2) (forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the new penal code of India.
The Chenab Times News Desk