Chembur School Allegedly Cheated Of ₹7 Lakh By Woman Promising CBSE Affiliation; RCF Police Register Case

Mumbai: A case of alleged financial fraud has come to light in Chembur, where a woman is accused of cheating a school of Rs7 lakh by promising to secure its affiliation with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The RCF police have registered a case against the accused, identified as Mansi Patil, and further investigation is underway.

School Administrator Approached Woman For CBSE Affiliation

According to the FIR, the complainant, Priyanka Panhalkar, 53, works as an administrator at Shri Narayan Acharya Vidyaniketan, run by Lokmanya Shikshan Sanstha at Anik village in Chembur. The school is currently registered and recognised under the Maharashtra State Board. Its management committee had decided to seek CBSE affiliation and had appointed Panhalkar to coordinate the process and arrange the necessary documentation.

The school trustees reportedly received Patil's name through Jitendra Mandalecha, a close friend of trustee Subodh Acharya. Mandalecha allegedly recommended her, claiming that she had previously helped his school obtain CBSE affiliation.

Woman Explains CBSE Application Process And Inspects School

On May 23, 2025, Panhalkar contacted Patil to understand the CBSE registration procedure. Patil allegedly explained the online application process, documentation requirements and details related to the school's infrastructure. She also shared a proposal document through WhatsApp.

During a subsequent discussion on May 27, Patil reportedly sought photographs of the school's library, classrooms, laboratories, playground and washrooms. She also visited the school on May 31, 2025, inspected its premises and documents, and allegedly assured the management that the necessary requirements were being fulfilled and that approval would be obtained soon.

Accused Demands ₹6 Lakh Consultancy Fees

On June 12, Patil reportedly communicated through WhatsApp and email that she would charge Rs6 lakh as consultancy fees, demanding Rs4 lakh in advance and the remaining Rs2 lakh after receiving the CBSE consent letter.

According to the complaint, the school eventually paid her a total of Rs7 lakh through cheques and RTGS transactions. Patil allegedly used remote access software, AnyDesk, to create login credentials and upload documents on the CBSE portal with the assistance of an associate identified as Samar. She had also reportedly promised to arrange essential land-area, fire safety and structural certificates from the relevant civic and administrative authorities.

However, when Panhalkar checked the application status on December 15, 2025, she allegedly discovered that documents uploaded on November 30, 2025, belonged to another institution — RG School and Junior College, run by Priya Bahuuddeshiya Sevabhavi Pratishthan in Hadgaon, Nanded district — instead of Shri Narayan Acharya Vidyaniketan.

The application had consequently been rejected or marked as not approved due to discrepancies in the submitted documents. Despite repeated attempts to contact Patil, she allegedly failed to resolve the issue and eventually blocked Panhalkar's phone number.

Following the complaint, the RCF police registered an offence under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway.

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