Mumbai: Sakinaka NEET counselling centre vanishes overnight

The police and local MLA Dilip Lande, at the Sakinaka office

Amid the NEET-UG paper leak case investigation, a NEET counselling centre in Sakinaka has abruptly shut shop and the owners have disappeared overnight, taking all the computers. When employees arrived at the office on Friday morning, they found it empty and were shocked to discover that the company, which had only started a month ago, had vanished. The employees have filed a complaint with the Sakinaka police station. The local MLA also visited the counselling centre office, assuring the employees of a thorough investigation and justice to ensure they receive their salary for the month.

Advaya Vidya Pravesh Margdarshak Pvt Ltd, a company that started its office in Sakinaka at 1 Aerocity Corporate Park, has shut down its NEET-UG counselling operations amid the nationwide investigation by the CBI. The 52 employees working at the centre filed a written complaint with the police on Friday after arriving at the office to find it closed. According to the receptionist at the corporate park, on Thursday night, someone took all the computers, claiming it was part of an investigation.

Aditya Deshmukh, the accused; (right) Beena Paul, manager. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

"We arrived at the office on Friday morning and found it shut with no computers in sight. There are a total of 52 employees who were working to counsel students on preparing for admissions and how to apply after passing NEET-UG. The counselling centre was supposed to operate via phone after the NEET results, but the company, which started on May 22 this year, has now mysteriously disappeared, and the employees have not received their salaries," said Beena Paul, a manager at the company.

"On June 26, we were told to leave the office early in the evening because they wanted to do some renovations. On June 27 also we left early. When we arrived at the office on Friday, we were shocked to see that everything, including the computers, was missing, and the operations in-charge, Aditya Deshmukh, was unreachable," she added.

Employees and cops outside the centre in Sakinaka. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

"I don't know why the office was shut down or what it has to do with the NEET paper leak. I am just worried about the salaries of my 52 employees who have worked for the past month," she added further.

Dilip Lande, the local MLA of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), visited the centre after receiving complaints from the employees and informed the police to probe the matter. "I received information from the employees, rushed to the spot, and found that the company had shut its office and disappeared with all its electronic gadgets, including laptops and computers. The person in charge used a dummy name, Aditya Deshmukh, but his real name was something else. I have asked the police to investigate if this has any connection to the NEET-UG exams investigation. I have also assured the employees that I will raise this matter before the House to ensure they receive their salaries," Lande said while speaking to the press.

The Sakinaka police have confirmed that they have received a complaint and are probing the matter, the officials have also visited the centre in Sakinaka.

52
No. of employees working at the centre