Kurash certificate scam whistleblower Vaibhav Chavan, 26, was found hanging near the Jyotiba temple at Imamapur in Beed, in a death that is under investigation. His brother Ganesh Chavan has filed a complaint, and the police have registered a first information report for abetment to suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The family held a 12-hour protest, and an audio clip has surfaced in which threats are alleged to have been made against him. The death has put the focus back on a scam that has already led to arrests and suspensions.
The Kurash certificate scam came to light after Chavan complained to the state sports commissionerate and filed right to information requests about the certificates. He alleged that the Maharashtra State Kurash Association had issued 1,200 to 1,500 fake certificates between 2016 and 2023, for competitions that were never held. The certificates were allegedly used to claim jobs under the 5 per cent sports quota, and the exposure led to cases against the office-bearers of the association. The president, Ankush Vitthal Nagar, and the secretary, Shivaji Jaywant Salunkhe, were arrested in early September.
Kurash certificate scam investigations have led to the suspension of 14 police and sports officials, and to the arrest of 24 to 25 people in all. In the Pune city police drive, 19 candidates were found to have used fake certificates, and 14 were arrested from training centres on 29 October, with five absconding. A couple from Kolhapur, Shruti Punagavkar, 45, and Dhairyashil Punagavkar, 51, were arrested on 16 September, and the police said an academy in Kolhapur made the documents. The police are now looking at 71 candidates since 2023.
Kurash certificate scam and the whistleblower
The Kurash certificate scam whistleblower had complained to the state sports commissionerate and filed right to information requests, and his family says he faced threats for it. His brother Ganesh Chavan filed the complaint after the death, and the police have named Kurash Association representatives and Nagnath Sable in the first information report. Sable is alleged to have got a police job through a fake certificate, despite having similar marks to Chavan. The family held a 12-hour protest, and the audio clip that has surfaced is said to carry threats against him.
Kurash certificate scam cases began with a case at the Shivajinagar police station on 3 September 2026, and the investigation has spread since then. The Maharashtra State Kurash Association is alleged to have issued 1,200 to 1,500 fake certificates between 2016 and 2023, for competitions that were never held. The certificates were used to claim jobs under the 5 per cent sports quota, and the police have arrested 24 to 25 people. The association president and secretary were arrested in early September, and the police have continued to make arrests since then.
Kurash certificate scam and the jobs at stake
The Kurash certificate scam matters because the certificates were used to get government jobs, and the 5 per cent sports quota is meant for athletes who have competed at a recognised level. The police have found 19 candidates in the Pune city police drive who used fake certificates, and 14 were arrested from training centres on 29 October. The 71 candidates since 2023 who are now under scrutiny show how wide the alleged scam runs, and the police said the academy in Kolhapur made the documents for them.
Kurash certificate scam whistleblower Vaibhav Chavan was 26, and his death is being investigated by the police. The first information report names Kurash Association representatives and Nagnath Sable, and the charge is abetment to suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The family has alleged threats, and an audio clip has surfaced. The police have not said what the clip contains, and the investigation is still going on. The death has drawn attention to the case, and the family is waiting for answers.
The Kurash certificate scam has led to arrests, suspensions and a death, and the investigation is still going on. The Maharashtra State Kurash Association is alleged to have issued 1,200 to 1,500 fake certificates between 2016 and 2023, and 24 to 25 people have been arrested. The whistleblower who exposed the alleged scam was found dead in Beed, and his family has filed a complaint. The police have registered a case for abetment to suicide, and the investigation will decide what happens next.