A 21-year-old BTech student was arrested on Saturday for allegedly duping a Lucknow-based doctor of ₹46 lakh by posing as an admission counsellor and promising to secure his daughter’s admission to BITS Pilani, said additional deputy commissioner of police (Crime) Kiran Yadav on Sunday.
“Yashraj Bajpai, a third-year BTech student at Delhi Technological University, was arrested by Lucknow cyber crime police on Saturday for allegedly duping a city doctor of ₹46 lakh on the pretext of securing her daughter’s admission to BITS Pilani,” said Yadav.
According to police, the racket came to light after Dr Kiran Chaubey, a resident of Eldico Tainy on IIM Road, approached the cyber crime police station on August 20. She alleged that she had been contacted through fake education consultancy accounts on Facebook and Instagram, where the accused and his associates claimed they could secure her daughter’s admission to the prestigious Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani.
Police said the accused built credibility over time by posing as representatives and senior officials of different consultancies. “He allegedly sought money under various heads, including admission and registration fees, and demanded cash on the pretext of ensuring a seat,” Yadav added.
“To convince the family that the admission process was genuine, the accused allegedly provided forged admission letters, fee receipts and other fabricated documents. Different mobile numbers and fake identities were used to maintain contact with the victim and conceal the identities of those involved,” said the ADCP. In all, the family allegedly paid ₹46 lakh through online and cash transactions.
{{/usCountry}}“To convince the family that the admission process was genuine, the accused allegedly provided forged admission letters, fee receipts and other fabricated documents. Different mobile numbers and fake identities were used to maintain contact with the victim and conceal the identities of those involved,” said the ADCP. In all, the family allegedly paid ₹46 lakh through online and cash transactions.
{{/usCountry}}The cyber crime police registered an FIR under sections 318(4), 319(2), 338, 336(3) and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act.
DCP (Crime) Anil Yadav said the investigation eventually led police to Bajpai. Acting on technical evidence, electronic surveillance and other inputs, a cyber crime team arrested him at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport while he was allegedly attempting to leave Lucknow by flight. “During interrogation and identification by the complainant, his alleged involvement in the case came to light,” the officer added.
Investigators said Bajpai and his associates allegedly created and operated fake education consultancy profiles on social media to target students and parents seeking admission to reputed engineering and medical institutions. Once a prospective victim showed interest, they allegedly promised a “confirmed” seat and demanded money in instalments.
Forged documents were allegedly central to the operation. Police said fake admission letters and receipts were supplied to make the transactions appear legitimate. The accused allegedly used different names and phone numbers, while money received from victims was routed through multiple bank accounts and other channels to conceal the trail.
Police recovered ₹40,225 in cash, an Apple MacBook Pro, three mobile phones, five debit/ATM cards and two SIM cards from Bajpai. The electronic devices and documents are being examined to determine whether other students or parents were allegedly targeted and to identify his associates.