Pune: The Pune Crime Branch has arrested 14 newly recruited police constables over the past two days from various police training centres across Maharashtra, in connection with an alleged racket involving fake sports certificates in Kurash, a form of upright jacket wrestling.

Source: SSB Crack

Police say 19 candidates had submitted Kurash certificates during the recent Pune city police recruitment drive to claim benefits under Maharashtra's five per cent sports quota in government recruitment. Of them, 14 have now been taken into custody, while five others fled before the arrests and remain absconding, according to the report.

Source: SSB Crack

A case was registered at Shivajinagar police station on September 3, 2026. Investigators allege that the Maharashtra State Kurash Association prepared and issued around 1,200 to 1,500 fake participation and achievement certificates between 2016 and 2023.

Source: SSB Crack

Association president Ankush Vitthal Nagar and secretary Shivaji Jaywant Salunkhe were among the first to be arrested in early September. The Bridge Chronicle reported on September 16 that a Kolhapur couple, Shruti Punagavkar (45) and Dhairyashil Punagavkar (51), who run a sports academy, were also arrested, and that the forged documents were allegedly produced at their academy. Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Tejaswi Satpute said office-bearers had distributed more than a thousand certificates across the state over the past eleven years.

Source: The Bridge Chronicle

With the latest arrests, the Crime Branch has arrested approximately 24 to 25 people in the case so far, including association office-bearers, agents linked to district Kurash associations and others who allegedly facilitated the certificates. The allegations are under investigation and are yet to be proved in court.

Source: SSB Crack