Fake MBBS Admission Racket Busted in Pune: Parents Duped of Over ₹1.3 Crore
Fake MBBS Admission Racket Busted in Pune: Parents Duped of Over ₹1.3 Crore
What began as hope for aspiring medical students has turned into a massive financial fraud, with Baner police uncovering a cheating racket that allegedly siphoned off more than ₹1.3 crore from families desperate for MBBS admissions. According to investigators, two men ran an elaborate scheme from an office in Balewadi, Pune, luring parents with assurances of confirmed seats in medical colleges across Maharashtra. The fraud reportedly took place between November 1 and December 6 and came to light after a father from Chandrapur approached the police with a complaint.
The complainant, Pravin Kishor Halkare (52), who runs a CCTV sales and service business, told police that he first encountered the offer through a Facebook advertisement promising guaranteed MBBS admissions. As his daughter aspired to pursue medicine but had not secured a seat through regular counselling, he contacted the number mentioned in the advertisement.
Senior Police Inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant revealed that the accused appeared well-prepared, possessing confidential information such as names and contact details of students who had appeared for common entrance tests for both government and private medical colleges. “They specifically targeted students who were unable to get seats through the official process and approached them with offers of paid admissions,” he explained.
Halkare was called to an office located at Tejas Eternity near Balewadi Phata, where the accused, identified as Rajesh Gupta and Brijesh Arya, claimed they could arrange an MBBS seat for his daughter at Dr. Ulhas Patil Medical College in Jalgaon. The duo allegedly demanded ₹35 lakh as a ‘donation’, collecting ₹3 lakh initially and assuring that the remaining amount could be paid in instalments. To build trust, they even provided a written agreement.
Later, the accused reportedly took Halkare and his family to Jalgaon, where they collected another ₹27 lakh. They allegedly handed over a forged admission form of the medical college and obtained the student’s photograph and signature to make the process look authentic. However, when no admission confirmation followed, Halkare realised he had been deceived and filed a police complaint.
Police investigations have since revealed that at least 12 other families were cheated in a similar manner, taking the total number of victims to 13 and the total amount involved to around ₹1.26–₹1.3 crore. Assistant Police Inspector Anil Kekan stated that the accused had set up their Balewadi office only three months ago and abruptly shut it down on December 6, after which they went missing.
“The moment the money was collected, the office was locked and the accused disappeared,” an officer said, adding that efforts are underway to trace the suspects and track the flow of money.
A case has been registered at Baner Police Station, and further investigation is ongoing to identify additional victims and recover the defrauded amounts. Police have also issued a cautionary note to parents and students, urging them not to fall for social media advertisements or claims of guaranteed admissions.
Officials warned that education-related frauds are on the rise and stressed that admissions to medical colleges can only be secured through official counselling and transparent procedures.
