3 days ago
Police Allege Engineers Ran Seasonal Engineering Admission Scam
Police say a group in Pune tricked families who wanted engineering college admissions.
The group allegedly found students through Instagram and Facebook.
They promised seats in well-known colleges for large amounts of money.
One mother said she paid Rs 16.5 lakh but her son did not get admission.
Police say the group used fake phone numbers and sometimes collected money in cash.
The call centres allegedly closed before official admission lists were released.
Police arrested several engineers and students, along with the alleged organiser.
Some students’ families said they thought the students were doing internships, not working at a call centre.
Investigators are checking phones, bank accounts and other evidence to find more possible victims.
Police allege Yuvraj Kumar Sharma, alias Sonu Kumar, led an admission racket operating through two bogus call centres in Pune.
The group allegedly used social media to target families seeking engineering seats through management or NRI quotas.
A Powai mother alleged she paid Rs 16.5 lakh for her son’s promised admission to the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad.
Police froze Rs 16 lakh and, after court intervention, returned the entire amount to the complainant.
Seven people have approached police, while investigators have linked the operation to at least six similar cases across several states.
- Who
- Police allege that Yuvraj Kumar Sharma, alias Sonu Kumar, led a group of engineers, engineering students and an MBA student; a SIM-card vendor was also arrested.
- What
- An alleged interstate scam promised engineering-college admissions in exchange for money, then shut down before admissions were announced.
- Where
- The alleged call centres operated from rented premises in Viman Nagar, Lohegaon and Kharadi in Pune, while victims sought admissions in Pune, Delhi and other locations.
- When
- Police say the operation ran from 2019 and mainly operated during the March-to-July admission season, sometimes continuing until August; raids took place on August 16.
- Why
- Police allege the group targeted anxious students and parents through social media and used false claims of access to management or NRI quota seats to obtain money.
Police allegations
Participant and family accounts
Nature of the operation
Police allegations
Police allege the group created bogus call centres, used fake SIM cards and posed as people connected to colleges to collect admission payments.
Participant and family accounts
Families of some engineering students said they understood the students were in Pune for internships and did not know they were allegedly working at the call centre.
How money was collected
Police allegations
Investigators allege payments were taken as admission fees, sometimes in cash, while online transfers were routed through a bank account and withdrawn with help from petrol-pump employees.
Participant and family accounts
The article does not report a public response from the accused disputing the police’s account or explaining the alleged payments.
Scope of the alleged fraud
Police allegations
Police say the operation targeted students seeking colleges in multiple cities and may involve more victims as investigators examine seized devices and contact data.
Participant and family accounts
The currently reported complaints involve seven people, and police say the investigation is continuing to determine how many people were approached or paid.
Key facts
- Alleged organiser
- Yuvraj Kumar Sharma, also known as Sonu Kumar, 35
- Complainant’s alleged loss
- Rs 16.5 lakh
- Money returned
- Rs 16 lakh was initially frozen, and the full amount was later returned after police intervention and a court order
- Call-centre locations
- Viman Nagar, Lohegaon and City Vista Building in Kharadi, Pune
- People arrested
- Ten people were found working at the call centres; all accused were arrested in connection with the case
- Cases identified
- Police have linked the operation to at least six similar cases and said seven people have complained so far
- Seized or frozen assets
- Assets worth about Rs 1.35 crore, including a BMW and Jaguar, were seized; another Rs 24 lakh was frozen in bank accounts
Quotes
Datta Nalawade
Deputy Commissioner of Police discussing the alleged admission racket
“It was an interstate admission scam operated through two bogus call centres by engineers, some of whom were from prominent institutes.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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