Mumbai: SIT makes first arrest in MBBS admission scam

The accused had promised people admission to the JJ or Grant Medical College. Pic/Shadab Khan

A 35-year-old real estate agent was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Mumbai Crime Branch on Monday for duping MBBS aspirants in the guise of providing them admissions under the management quota, in top Mumbai medical colleges. The accused duped four MBBS aspirants who have cleared NEET, to the tune of in all Rs 1.17 crore. Earlier this month, Special Commissioner of Mumbai Police, Deven Bharti, formed a SIT to investigate cases related to MBBS admission fraud, and around 7 cases were transferred to it. According to the crime branch, the cases were registered at JJ, MRA Marg, and Sion police stations.

The modus operandi

The SIT made its first arrest on Monday; the accused was identified as Ganesh Raokhande, a real estate agent from Chembur. Raokhande was arrested in the JJ or Grant Medical College case, where he duped four MBBS aspirants of Rs 1.17 crore. "He used to collect the data of all aspirants after NEET results and use it to approach their parents on the pretext of providing admission under management quota. He would ask for Rs 40 lakh-Rs 50 lakh from an individual. So far, four victims in the JJ case have come forward. In the other six cases, there are multiple victims," an officer of the Mumbai Crime Branch said.

The crime branch has also found that the accused used to meet the victims near or in the medical colleges where he had promised them admission, and show that he was close to its management to lure them. "We are also probing if anyone from the management of the concerned colleges is also involved. As of now it appears that he is part of a gang," an officer added. According to sources, the accused had called many parents and MBBS aspirants after collecting their data online."We suspect that there are more victims, but only a few have come forward as the payment was made in cash, the officer added.

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Arrested earlier

The officials have also said that the accused was earlier arrested in 2021 in connection with another MBBS student scam case, where a deputy dean of Sion Hospital was arrested. Earlier this year, the Navi Mumbai police arrested a gang of six members who have conned students in a similar way. The Navi Mumbai Police claims that the gang was operating PAN India and targeting those who have scored low in their NEET exams. The Mumbai crime branch has said that the accused arrested by them has links to the Navi Mumbai police's case as well.