The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has expelled Nikhil Thomas, who has been embroiled in a controversy over a fake degree certificate, from the primary membership of the organisation.
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In a statement, SFI State secretary P.M. Arsho and State president K. Anusree accused Mr. Thomas, a former Kayamkulam area secretary of the organisation, of hoodwinking the organisation when he was asked for an explanation on the issue.
The SFI found itself in a fix after Mr. Arsho initially defended the alleged offender, who gained admission to the MCom course in a college using a forged degree certificate that, he claimed, was issued by Kalinga University in Chhattisgarh. In an apparent justification of its stance, the SFI State leadership said Mr. Thomas had shown them only an eligibility certificate issued by the University of Kerala.
The organisation reiterated its concern over agencies that purportedly operated within and outside the State to produce and issue fake certificates in the name of several universities in the country. “Nikhil Thomas has become one among the many youths who produce fake certificates with assistance from mafia groups that indulge in such nefarious activities,” they stated.