Lucknow University marksheet racket kingpin amassed Rs 50 crore in 8 years

LUCKNOW: Kirodhan Prasad, the prime accused in the Lucknow University marksheet racket, had a fetish for all things good in life. He and his relatives own properties worth over Rs 50 crore, including 20 flats, a fleet of 12 SUVs and a total Rs 68 lakh in 37 bank accounts, investigations so far have revealed.
Superintendent of police (Trans-Gomti) Amit Kumar said Prasad charged anything between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 3 lakh from every client.From a small house in Kalyanpur area of Lucknow in 2012 to 20 flats in the state shows how he made a fortune in just eight years. “The money he earned in the racket was invested in properties. We will attach all property documents in the charge sheet to be filed in court,” the officer said.
A former LU clerk-rank employee, 38-year-old Prasad was sacked in 2003 and had served three years in jail for forging marksheets. After serving his sentence, he returned with a bang, spreading his “business” and recuiting an entire gang by 2011. The recruits were mostly grade IV employees of various universities. He paid them handsomely every month for stealing tabulation charts, which are required to prepare marksheets, police said.
Documents seized from his Jankipuram hideout on Monday show Prasad co-owning with his uncles and cousins the 20 flats across the state, including 12 in upmarket neighbourhoods of Lucknow such as Vibhuti Khand, Gomtinagar, Vikasnagar, Indiranagar, Aashiana and Madiaon. He also has flats registered solely in his name in Kanpur, Hardoi and Rae Bareli.
“The key accused (Prasad) is married and has two children. His father too lives with him. However, he has not registered any property in their names. In most cases, his uncles and cousins are co-owners,” said an officer. The police haul further includes registration certificates of 12 SUVs with numbers of Rae Bareli, Allahabad, Hardoi, Kanpur and Lucknow. “All are in his name. We are yet to find the SUVs,” the officer added.
The 37 bank accounts in Prasad’s name are in different districts of the state. Clients were told to deposit money for marksheets in these accounts, investigators said.
Bangali Prasad, the father of the accused, was also a contractual employee in LU who served from 1995 to 1999 in the examination department. But, his record was clean. Younger brother of the accused, Yashodhan, is a businessman in Tamil Nadu.
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