Doctor among three nabbed for MBBS admission fraud
In a significant breakthrough, the Cyber Police Station in Rohini district busted a gang of fraudsters and arrested three persons, including a doctor, engaged in duping individuals seeking admission to MBBS courses.
The gang’s modus operandi included impersonating the dean of a prestigious medical college and promising admission to concessional seats, officials said on Wednesday.
The accused persons have been identified as Sumantra Gupta (41), a resident of Siliguri, West Bengal, and Asikur Rahman (31), and Dharmesh Kalita (33) both natives of Assam. During the follow-up investigation, 3 mobile phones, 2 laptops, 10 SIM cards, 6 ATM cards, and 3 checkbooks and passbooks were seized from their possession. The mastermind behind the operation, Sumantra Gupta, is himself a qualified MBBS doctor.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rohini GS Sandhu, the investigation was triggered by a complaint lodged on July 25, at the Cyber Police Station Rohini.
Dr Vijay Dhankar, the complainant, reported an online cyber fraud wherein he was contacted by an individual posing as Dr RB Gupta, the purported Dean of Katihar Medical College. Assuring an MBBS seat for Dr Dhankar’s son, the impersonator demanded a hefty sum for admission formalities.
Falling prey to the scheme, Dr Dhankar deposited Rs 2,50,000 and Rs 5,00,000 on different occasions into the provided bank account. However, communication ceased after the money was received, prompting Dr Dhankar to file a complaint under sections 419/420 IPC.
The dedicated investigation team consisted of SI Praveen Narwal, HC Janak Gill, HC Amit Dabas, and HC Nitesh Kumar, led by SHO Cyber Police Station Rohini
District, under the supervision of ACP/Ops.
During the investigation, Asikur Rahman’s bank account was identified as the beneficiary, with significant withdrawals made through ATMs and self-cheques. Tracing the gang’s activity to Guwahati, Assam, led to the arrests of Asikur Rahman and Dharmesh Kalita. Sumantra Gupta, the mastermind, was apprehended after a pursuit in Siliguri, West Bengal, Sandhu confirmed.
Further interrogation revealed that Asikur Rahman facilitated the gang by providing his bank account in exchange for a commission. Dharmesh Kalita, on the other hand, played a role in arranging bank accounts for Sumantra Gupta to receive cheated funds.
Sumantra Gupta, who holds an MBBS degree from Sikkim Manipal University, initially partnered with Naghma Khan to assist students in securing medical college admissions. With the advent of NEET and stricter regulations, the gang turned to impersonation and fraud, promising concessional seats to gullible aspirants, Sandhu mentioned. The Cyber Police Station Rohini district has urged potential victims to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation.
