Student Fakes Father's Death for US Scholarship, Gets Arrested and Deported

Aryan Anand, an Indian student at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, has been arrested and deported after it was discovered that he falsified documents to secure a full scholarship. Anand's elaborate deception included forging his class 10 board exam results, fabricating transcripts and essays, and even creating a fake death certificate for his father, who is alive!

Anand's fraudulent activities came to light after he boasted about his deceitful ‘achievements’ in a now-deleted Reddit post. In his post, the 19-year-old admitted to building "his life and career on lies" and detailed how he secured admission to the US college using fraudulent means. His post was flagged by a Reddit moderator, who then alerted Lehigh University.

Here is what you need to know

Following his admission to Lehigh University, Anand confessed that he lost interest in his studies, turned to heavy drinking, and cheated in exams to maintain his scholarship. He also faked internships to earn money.

Two months ago, Anand was arrested and faced up to 20 years in prison on felony counts of forgery and theft of services, according to a report by 6ABC. However, at the request of university officials, he was expelled and deported to India instead.

Lehigh University released a statement saying, "We appreciate the report and the thorough investigation that brought this matter to light."

Michael Weinert, Northampton County Assistant District Attorney, explained how the Reddit moderator connected Anand to Lehigh University. "The defendant only had one university (account) that he followed, which was Lehigh University. So, the moderator reached out to Lehigh to give them a heads up," Mr. Weinert said, according to 6ABC.

Mr. Weinert also praised the university's investigation efforts, saying, "It was challenging to verify the facts, but Lehigh and their police force did an excellent job of digging deep and uncovering the truth."

Anand's case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of academic fraud and the importance of integrity in education.