MUMBAI, March 28 -- Thirteen students from the Dr Baliram Hiray College of Architecture in Bandra East have urged the Kherwadi police to investigate alleged fraud and misrepresentation by the college, which has issued degree certificates and marksheets that are allegedly inauthentic. The students, the first batch to graduate from the college, completed a three-year interior design degree course and are of the 2021-22 batch. However, they did not receive their degrees and marksheets, as promised, from the Manipur-based Sangai International University, to which their college was affiliated. Sangai International University was derecognised by the Grants Commission in 2024, putting a question mark on their academic credentials. Their college secured a new affiliation, with the Sikkim International University, and issued marksheets under its name. However, the students allege, the documents are not valid and contain several discrepancies. Nidhi Raut, one of the students, claimed the QR code printed on the documents either led to an unrelated institution or showed invalid results when scanned. Raut, who had transferred from another college in her second year, also said she had received a first-year marksheet from the college even though she had not studied there during that time. Moreover, she said, the degree certificate and marksheets were distributed to the students outside the college gate, not on the premises. Since her documents are not in order, she says, she is unable to secure a job. Another student, Shivani Pawar, said the problem with the college's affiliation and, consequently, the documents they had received had cost her a job as she couldn't submit the original marksheets required by her employer. She had started work in an entry-level position on the assurance that she would provide her documents soon. Shruti Sorap, another student, pointed to inconsistencies in the degree mentioned on the marksheets. While the students were told they would receive a Bachelor of Vocation degree, the documents mentioned a Bachelor of Science degree. When the students asked to see the affiliation documents, they hit a dead end. As the issue escalated, students approached student organisations for support. The Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) raised the matter with both the college administration and the police. Santosh Gangurde, state chief organiser of the student body, said a memorandum has been submitted to the directorate of technical education, urging the authorities to register criminal cases and ensure accountability. Attempts to contact the college principal, Sunil Makdum, were unsuccessful. An officer with the Kherwadi police confirmed that they had received the students' letter, but was not willing to offer any details....