Mumbai Crime: Man arrested for duping students over HSC hall tickets

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A man has been arrested in the metropolis for allegedly taking money from students after promising them hall tickets for the Maharashtra State Board's HSC exams, police said on Tuesday. Higher Secondary Certificate examinations started on Tuesday. An official said the duped students were pursuing studies through correspondence and needed hall tickets to appear for HSC exams as 'external students', and identified the accused as Munim Kumar Jaiswal (45).

He said 15 students had approached the police so far though the number of those duped might be as high as 30. According to complainant Anis Ahmed Idrisi, his younger brother had failed Class XI and hence had decided to appear for the HSC exams (Class XII) through correspondence and had joined Chembur-based 'Baig and Mhatre', Classes. "Professor Baig of this Chembur-based tutorial assured us that the students would get hall tickets in time. It was he who introduced us to Jaiswal. Each student was asked to pay Rs 5,000 to Jaiswal for the hall ticket which they did," Idrisi said.

Another parent, Mujahidul Islam, alleged that Jaiswal and Baig started giving evasive answers when they were asked about the hall tickets. "On Thursday, Jaiswal bluntly told us that outwards would not be getting hall tickets. We then decided to approach the police as we realised we had been duped," Islam said.

The owner of the classes, Shahid Baig claimed he had nothing to do with the incident and put the blame on Jaiswal. "I have nothing to do with this issue. I have just charged my tuition fees. Jaiswal took money from students promising them hall tickets and also issued receipts. I am a teacher, all the allegations against me are false," Baig said in his defence.

Senior Inspector Jayprakash Bhosle of Chembur police station said Jaiswal was arrested from his Goregaon residence last week and has been charged under sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code and further probe was underway.

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