Mumbai: Sakinaka Police Register FIR Against 4 People For Duping 67-Year-Old Man Of ₹45 Lakh In Medical Admission Scam

Mumbai: The Sakinaka police have registered an FIR against four persons for allegedly cheating under the pretext of securing medical admissions for nine aspirants.

About The Case

The accused operated a fake SEZ Academy in Sakinaka and allegedly took Rs 45 lakh from the complainants. The case was filed on January 6. According to the FIR, the complainant, Suryakant Gaikwad, 67, is a resident of Chembur and a retired employee of the Reserve Bank of India. His daughter Kirti, who passed the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) in 2024, was searching for a medical college for admission.

Gaikwad came across an advertisement for SEZ Academy on Facebook in November 2024. The advertisement claimed the academy could secure an MBBS seat through the management quota. The academy was located on Andheri-Kurla Road, Sakinaka. Gaikwad contacted the academy via the phone number provided. A woman called him to their office and assured they could arrange admission at a lower budget in Sangli's Ashwini Prakash Institute. She also instructed him to carry a chequebook.

On November 4, Gaikwad met Pratiksha Angre, Aradhya Chaturvedi, and Ravindar Saket, who claimed to be the heads of the academy. They assured him that they could secure his daughter’s admission but demanded Rs 68.50 lakh. They also claimed that only one seat was left for admission. Convinced, Gaikwad handed over a Rs 5 lakh cheque from Canara Bank in the name of SEZ Academy.

However, Gaikwad later directly contacted Ashwini Prakash Institute and discovered that SEZ Academy was fake and his daughter’s name was not on the admission list. When he tried to contact the academy, his calls went unanswered. Gaikwad then visited the academy’s office only to find it shut. Along with eight other persons, he filed a police complaint.