Mumbai: Father loses Rs6.5L to MBBS seat fraud

Mumbai: Seeking an MBBS seat for his son, a 49-year-old man lost Rs6.5 lakh to a gang, including a woman, which promised admission in a Jalgaon-based college. In his complaint lodged at the MRA Marg police station, the Kalyan resident said that his son had cleared the medical entrance exam last year.

On Dec 22, the father found a contact number while surfing a website related to college admission. Subsequently, he spoke to a man who introduced himself as Anand Kumar and assured the father that a medical seat for his son is confirmed if the latter is ready to pay a donation of Rs15 lakh. To gain confidence, the con further said that the process will be done via the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

The complainant agreed with the demand, after which Kumar asked him to meet near the St George's Hospital the next day. On Dec 23, the father-son duo met Kumar who was with a woman. The meeting ended with the cons asking the father to bring the donation's first installment – Rs6.5 lakh – the next day.

This time, another man came to see the complainant and his son and he even handed over a fake admission form. Later, they were taken to a hotel where Kumar took the form and other related documents, and left. Arriving sometime later, the con told the father-son duo that a medical seat has been confirmed in Jalgaon and the DMER has mailed an admission letter, too.

After seeing the email, the complainant gave Rs6.5 lakh to Kumar. The fraud came to fore when the aggrieved verified the email with the DMER and learnt that it's a fake communication. Based on the complaint, a case has been filed under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code sections as well as the Information Technology Act, said the police.

Published on: Wednesday, January 04, 2023, 06:00 AM IST