A 19-year-old Indian student in the US has been expelled and will be deported after it was discovered that his entire application, including documents for a full scholarship, was fraudulent. His deception came to light when a Reddit moderator flagged a post titled "I have built my life and career on lies", detailing his fabrications. The student, Aryan Anand, faked his father's death to get a full scholarship.
Aryan Anand enroled at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in August 2023 as a first-year student, but his admission was revoked this year after the fraud regarding his father's death certificate was uncovered.
He pleaded guilty to forgery on June 12 and was sentenced to one to three months in Northampton County Prison, equivalent to time served, according to his defence attorney Molly Heidorn, as reported by LehighValleyLive News.
As part of the plea deal, Anand agreed to return to India, and Lehigh University decided not to pursue restitution of $85,000 (approximately RS 70 Lakh). Charges of theft and tampering with records were dropped.
Anand was initially arrested and charged on April 30, according to the news release.
The entire saga of fraud came to light after a Reddit post titled "I have built my life and career on lies", which exposed Anand.
The Indian student in the US confessed to falsifying transcripts, financial documents, and a death certificate for his father as part of his scheme, according to a release from District Attorney Stephen Baratta's office.
The release also mentioned that the 19-year-old created a fake email address to impersonate a school principal.
Northampton County Assistant District Attorney Michael Weinert explained the moderator's critical role in exposing Anand.
"The defendant only had one other university that he followed, which was Lehigh University. So, the moderator actually reached out to Lehigh to give them a heads up," said Weinert.
Lehigh University expressed gratitude for the tip-off and the subsequent investigation.
"We appreciate the report to our ethics hotline and the diligent investigation by the Lehigh University Police Department that led to Aryan Anand's arrest," the university stated, reported ABC News.
