New Delhi: Lawrence Bishnoi’s lawyer Deepak Nanda, also known as Deepak Khatri or ‘Mama’, secured admission to a BA-LLB course at a university in Uttar Pradesh using a forged Class 12 marksheet, an investigation has revealed.
Delhi Police is investigating Khatri, who has been associated with the jailed gangster for over a decade, in connection with an alleged illegal arms supply racket. He was arrested from Delhi last month and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The forged documents came to light after Amroha’s Shri Venkateshwara University was contacted by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for Khatri’s academic records. The 45-year-old from Delhi’s Paschim Vihar graduated from the university in 2024 and obtained his legal licence the same year.
After discovering that the documents in its records were fraudulent, the university administration filed a police complaint, following which an FIR was registered on Monday at the Rajabpur police station in Amroha. Khatri has been booked under BNS Sections 318(4) (cheating), 336(3) (forgery) and 340(2) (using forged documents as genuine).
Fake J&K Board certificate used for admission
The complaint was filed by Arun Kumar, the university’s administrative officer. According to his statement, the university provided Khatri’s admission and academic records to the Delhi Crime Branch on 9 September in response to a notice issued under BNSS Section 94.
The records included a copy of Khatri’s Class 12 marksheet/certificate showing that he had passed from the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education, the FIR said.
The Crime Branch sent the document to the board for verification. “In its verification reply, dated 19.9.2026, the Board declared the mark sheet/certificate to be fraudulent and not genuine according to its records,” the FIR states.
“On the basis of the above facts and circumstances, it is clear that Deepak Nanda has committed a serious criminal act by using fake/forged educational documents to obtain admission in the University and presenting the said documents as genuine documents,” said Kumar in the FIR.
A senior Amroha police officer told ThePrint that investigation into the case had begun and legal action would follow.
Bishnoi’s lawyer, ‘extortionist, arms dealer’
According to Delhi Crime Branch officers, Khatri was part of Bishnoi’s legal team and primarily helped arrange lawyers for the gangster’s associates. He has been associated with Bishnoi for over a decade, with his alleged role in arms smuggling coming to light recently.
After graduating from Shri Venkateshwara University, Khatri enrolled with the Delhi Bar Council and began practising in several trial courts. Before that, he allegedly arranged clients, participated in settlements and acted as a liaison for lawyers in Delhi’s lower courts.
According to officers, Khatri’s association with Bishnoi “goes beyond him being part of the legal team”. Investigators said that although he obtained his legal licence in 2024, he had been arranging legal representation for Bishnoi’s associates even before receiving his law degree.
Khatri’s name first appeared in police records in a 2023 Special Cell case, in which the complainant alleged that he was asked to pay Khatri Rs 2.5 crore to settle matters with Bishnoi.
Khatri was arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch at Indira Gandhi International Airport last month in connection with a weapons trafficking case busted by the department in March. His name came up in the case after the arrest of Bangladesh-based arms supplier Shahbaz Ansari who told investigators that Khatri was involved in facilitating arms deals in India.
Sources said that on 13 March, the Crime Branch received technical intelligence about an arms trafficking racket and conducted raids across several states. Eighteen accused were arrested, and 32 semi-automatic pistols, two sub-machine guns and 363 live cartridges were recovered.
During interrogation, police learnt that the arms and ammunition were being “collected to create terror among the general public by indiscriminate firing during large public gatherings during certain events”.
The Delhi Police subsequently issued a lookout notice against Khatri in June in connection with the arms trafficking and terror module. He told police that he had been in Dubai, Morocco and Thailand for the previous few months before being arrested after landing at Delhi’s IGI Airport.
The Delhi Police told a court that during interrogation, Khatri disclosed that he was involved in the international terror module allegedly established and run by Ansari through Harshpal Singh Rubal and Nishant Arora. Police said he also told investigators that he could assist in the probe, help arrest other accused and reveal the modus operandi used by the criminals.
(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)